米ＮＹ州、ペプシコを提訴　川のプラ汚染めぐり

【ニューヨークＡＦＰ＝時事】米ニューヨーク州は１５日、米食品大手ペプシコの飲料や食品のプラスチックごみが川を汚染しているとして、提訴した。同社が環境問題への取り組みについて「誤解を与える」声明を出しているとも批判している。（写真は小売店で販売されているペプシ〈資料写真〉）
　ニューヨーク州は、ペプシコがバファロー川での「公的不法妨害」に寄与しているとし、制裁金や損害賠償、使い捨てプラスチックを使用した製品の販売停止を求めている。
　州地裁に提訴したレティシア・ジェームズ司法長官は、「ニューヨークの全市民はきれいな水を使う基本的権利を有するにもかかわらず、ペプシコの無責任な包装とマーケティングはバファロー川の水と環境、市民の健康を危険にさらしている」と声明で批判した。
　一方、ペプシコは、プラ削減に「真剣に」取り組んでおり、「透明性」を持って取り組んでいると反論した。
　訴状によると、司法長官事務所が行った調査では、バッファロー川で回収されたプラごみはペプシコ製品が最も多かった。２番目に多かったファストフード大手マクドナルドの３倍の量だったという。
　同州はペプシコはプラスチック汚染軽減対策を宣言しているが、実行していないと指摘。ニューヨーク州では使い捨てプラスチック以外の選択肢を十分に展開していない一方、メキシコやドイツではガラスやプラスチック容器の再利用や容器を返却した場合返金される制度を発表しているとしている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/11/17-16:09）

New York state sued PepsiCo on Wednesday, pointing to the soda giant's plastic waste as a scourge of waterways and blasting the company's misleading statements on the environment.
The civil suit, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James in the state Supreme Court, seeks a finding that PepsiCo contributed to a public nuisance in the Buffalo River; the imposition of financial penalties and compensatory damages on the company; and an order that PepsiCo cease the sale of single-use plastic on goods that do not warn of the environmental ills.
All New Yorkers have a basic right to clean water, yet PepsiCo's irresponsible packaging and marketing endanger Buffalo's water supply, environment, and public health, James said in a statement.
No one should have to worry about plastics in their drinking water, plastic garbage littering their scenic riverfront, or plastic pollution harming wildlife.
PepsiCo said the company is serious about plastic reduction and has been transparent in its efforts.
This is a complex issue and requires involvement from a variety of stakeholders, including businesses, municipalities, waste-reduction providers, community leaders and consumers, a PepsiCo spokesperson said.
PepsiCo has been working in New York to address the needs of communities, including advocating for New York bottle bill improvements and extended producer responsibility bills. We have worked effectively with a variety of communities across the country and remain committed to doing so.
A survey by James' office found that PepsiCo's plastic packaging was by far the greatest source of Buffalo River plastic pollution, three times as abundant as the next contributor (McDonald's), according to the suit.
The plastics cause wide-ranging harms to the public and New York State, said the suit, which points to the presence of microplastics in both humans and fish.
Health-related problems include early puberty in females, reduced sperm counts, altered functions of reproductive organs, obesity, altered sex-specific behaviors and increased rates of some kinds of cancers, said the suit.
The lawsuit acknowledges company statements pledging action to reduce plastic pollution, but depicts PepsiCo as repeatedly falling short of pledges.
Further, the suit says PepsiCo has not chosen alternatives to single-use plastics to any significant degree in the New York market. In contrast, PepsiCo has announced refillable and returnable glass and plastic programs in international markets including Mexico and Germany, according to the suit.