Zero Waste France, ClientEarth and Surfrider Foundation Europe have sued Danone (one of the world's leading plastic polluters) for its negligent use of plastic under French duty-of-care laws.
In a nutshell, Danone's 'vigilance' action plan seems to be all talk and no walk, and now these awesome orgs are holding the corporate giant responsible on behalf of the planet and us, the people. Fluff and green washing days are over guys.
Fun fact: in 2021, Danone used more than 750,000 tonnes of plastic packaging, the equivalent of about 75 Eiffel Towers. (Yeah, nah, not fun, mostly terrifying. And now they want to produce MORE…)
Key Takeaways From the press update:
Updated on 18/09/2023
Now, in September 2023, the judge has ordered that the next stage in our case against Danone will be to enter into mediation with the company – giving us the chance to discuss our demands in detail, guided by an independent mediator. If we fail to find a workable solution, the legal process resumes.
———————–
Updated on 11/05/2023
Danone’s new vigilance plan is still not up to the challenge.
On the 11th of May 2023, the first hearing on the case took place at the Paris Tribunal Judiciaire to act on a judicial calendar. Danone recently published its 2022 ‘vigilance plan’, which does not contain a mapping of the risks linked to the use of plastic, nor a complete assessment of the plastics used, and we are still far from the mention of a deplastification trajectory.
The situation is alarming: 8 months after a formal notice was sent and 4 months after a lawsuit was filed, Danone has still not reacted on the issue of plastic, which raises concerns about the importance the group attaches to this problem.
A flawed vigilance plan on plastic and an increase in plastic use this year: from 750 kt to 762 kt.
Plastic-related objectives not only questionable, but also pushed back to 2030 instead of 2025.
The goal of 100% reusable, recyclable and compostable plastic has been pushed back from 2025 to 2030.
The objective of reducing virgin plastic has been changed from -33% by 2025 to -30% by 2030.
The Break Free From Plastic movement has repeatedly identified Danone as one of the main global plastic polluters. The company also distinguished itself at the national level in 2022 by becoming the #1 polluter in Indonesia, Spain and Tunisia.
Moreover, once released into the environment, plastic has catastrophic consequences on the environment. But that is not all. From the moment it is produced, plastic contributes to environmental degradation and climate change at every stage of its life cycle through the emission of hazardous substances that contaminate the air, water and soil, as well as inducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, plastic is a major concern for human health. A study found that more than 12,000 hazardous chemicals are used in packaging and at least 148 substances associated with plastic packaging have hazardous levels of toxicity to human health. Upstream in the plastics life cycle, the extraction and refining of raw materials and the production of plastics result in hazardous emissions associated with a number of serious health problems.
Other chemicals in plastics are not intentionally added, but are present as a result of impurities, chemical reactions, contamination and chemical degradation. Microplastics in the environment, air, foods and beverages can enter the human body. It is estimated that we ingest an average of 5 grams of plastic per week. Microplastics have been found in human blood, human lungs, placenta, and breast milk. The effects of these findings are not yet known, but studies indicate that they could have different types of serious impacts on human health. The health impacts of plastics primarily affect workers who produce them or manage the waste, children and women through their vulnerability to toxic substances, and people living below the poverty line.
It is essential that Danone becomes aware of this situation and acts accordingly. The group needs to become more aware of its plastic use. We hope that Danone will take responsibility for addressing the crucial issues we have confronted with Client Earth and Zero Waste France.
It’s the first time a food company is sued in France for its plastic use, throughout its whole supply chain, based on the the 2017 French Duty of Vigilance law.
Danone, deplastify now!
