This year could mark the point where the “floodgates are opened for litigation against the biggest polluters”, A Plastic Planet co-founder Sian Sutherland has said, on the back of news that a coalition of environmental groups has sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
That case in the United States involves the use of particular chemicals in plastic food packaging, which present a serious health risk, particularly for children.
‘Not slowing down’
As Sutherland, also the co-founder of the Plastic Health Council, commented, the case forms part of a broader trend, which is accelerating year-on-year.
“The number of lawsuits filed against the world’s 25 largest fossil fuel producers each year has nearly tripled since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, and it’s a trend that is not slowing down,” she commented.
“As more evidence emerges on a near weekly basis on the decades of deception from industry and the toxic impact of the plastic we are force fed, advocates are increasingly determined to take legal action against government bodies and industry that have misled the public to believe everything will be okay. Last year a precedent was set by California’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta, in suing ExxonMobil for misrepresenting the environmental and health impacts of its plastics.
“If industry continues to swerve its responsibilities to the planet and people, it should prepare for a whirlwind of financial bashings in the year ahead.”
FDA case
Commenting on the FDA case in the US, Maria Doa of the Environmental Defense Fund, told The Guardian newspaper that the FDA “has decided to ignore years of research and failed to take action to protect our health from these chemicals widely known to cause harm, allowing business as usual for companies who profit from their use.”
The lawsuit is calling for an outright ban on the use of the specific chemicals, known as phthalates, for use in packaging. Read more here.
