REDWOOD CITY – A marine-focused environmental group has sued the biggest manufacturers of food and drink, alleging that the companies are responsible for plastics pollution in California and around the world.
Earth Island Institute filed its public nuisance complaint on Feb. 26 in San Mateo Superior Court against Proctor and Gamble, Crystal Geyser, Colgate Palmolive, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola and a slew of other consumer goods companies.
“Recycling captures less than 10% of plastic produced annually,” wrote the plaintiff’s attorney Mark Molumphy in the lawsuit.. "Currently, the annual weight of plastic production globally is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. Unless every human on earth melted down and repurposed their weight in plastic every year, every ecosystem worldwide will continue to be disrupted by humans’ plastic waste.”
Molumphy is with the Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy law firm in Burlingame and is the lead counsel for the suit.
The plaintiff further alleges that defendants refuse to adopt more sustainable alternatives because they prefer the higher profits secured from using virgin plastic.
Proctor & Gamble did not respond immediately to the Northern California Records' requests for comment.
“Plastic never goes away because it is not biodegradable," the complaint states. "Instead, plastic in the ocean breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, known as microplastics. Because of their minuscule nature, microplastics are found in every nook and cranny of ocean ecosystems. They are now a common component of sand and are embedded in seagrass, which is a food source for various marine life. As a result, microplastics are routinely found in the digestive systems of sea-dwelling creatures.”
If the plaintiffs have their way, defendants will be required to allocate money and resources to redress the harm they have allegedly caused, according to The Los Angeles Times.
“Defendants knew or should have known, based on information available to them from their affiliates and/or from the scientific community, of the adverse impacts to waterways, oceans, coasts and marine life caused by the normal use and operation of the plastic packaging incorporated into the products,” the lawsuit states.