The Sierra Club is suing three major marketers of bottled water over its claims that their plastic bottles are “100% recyclable.”
The lawsuit against Coca-Cola, BlueTriton Brands (formerly Nestlé Waters North America) and Niagara Bottling alleges that the claim is deceptive because the bottles’ labels are not recyclable, and because “at least 28% of PET plastic that is deposited for recycling is unrecyclable due to contamination and processing loss,” according to a Sierra Club statement. This is alleged to violate the California Business and Professions Code.
The suit was filed June 16 in federal court for the Northern District of California, along with a similar one filed by three California residents. It asks for an end to the “100% recyclable” claim and for refunds to purchasers, on the ground that the claim inflated sales.
Similar lawsuits against Walmart and Keurig Dr Pepper, filed by Greenpeace and a consumer class respectively, are pending in the same court.
