Why Pepsi is getting sued over plastic pollution by New York state

PepsiCo, the company that makes Pepsi drinks, is being sued by the US state of New York over plastic pollution.

PepsiCo is the world's second biggest food company and has been accused of contaminating water along the Buffalo river, harming wildlife.

A PepsiCo spokesperson told the BBC that the company has been "transparent in its journey to reduce use of plastic".

PepsiCo isn't the only company to face criticism over plastic pollution.

Last week Coca-Cola, and Nestle were accused of making misleading claims about their plastic water bottles being "100% recycled".

The companies are accused of 'greenwashing' which is when products are branded as more eco-friendly, green or sustainable than they really are. It can mean customers buy products in the hope that they are helping the environment.

Announcing the legal action against Pepsi, New York state's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Letitia James Said: "No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health."

Last year, the Attorney General's office conducted a survey of types of waste collected at 13 sites along the Buffalo River in New York state.

The surveys found that PepsiCo's single-use plastic packaging was the most significant waste found in the river.

Of the 1,916 pieces of plastic rubbish collected with an identifiable brand, over 17% were produced by PepsiCo," the attorney's office said.

Other identifiable brands included McDonald's and sweets company Hershey's.

According to the state of New York, PepsiCo manufactures, produces, and packages at least 85 different drinks brands and 25 types of snacks and foods, the majority of which come in single-use plastic containers.

Pepsi said in a statement that it was "serious about plastic reduction and effective recycling".

As part of the legal action against Pepsi, the state says that microplastics have been found down stream in the city of Buffalo, where the river is used for drinking water.

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that are less than 5mm in length.

Microplastics happen when bigger bits of plastic - such as bottles, bags and containers break down in soil or in the sea and pollute the environment.