Investors concerned over growing evidence of plastic toxicity
Boston, January 25, 2024 – Responding to investors’ scrutiny, Keurig Dr Pepper has expanded its Chemical Management Policy to include forever chemicals PFAS, heavy metals and a family of plastic additives called bisphenols. The move comes after 185 investors coordinated by the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development sent a letter to the company highlighting toxic additives in plastic packaging.
“Plastic packaging can be toxic at every stage of its lifecycle,” said Douglass Guernsey, a shareholder advocate at Green Century that helped lead the investor engagement. “Thousands of potentially harmful plastic additives have been identified in food packaging. We expect companies to commit to identifying and eliminating the use of hazardous substances and to publicly report on their progress.”
Companies are currently not required to disclose plastic additives to consumers or investors. Of the over 13,000 chemicals added to plastics, nearly 70% are known to be hazardous or have not been assessed for safety.
A growing body of evidence links plastic and its additives to breast cancer, autism, infertility, and other issues through endocrine disruption, which alter critical hormone functions.
Dr. Pete Myers, of the Environmental Health Sciences, speaking at a recent U.S. Senate hearing emphasized the risks of endocrine disruption from plastic, stating that no plastic has been thoroughly tested using the tools of modern medical science.
Plastic additives impact plastic recyclability, harm ecosystems, and damage human health.
“We appreciate companies expanding chemical management policies, but it is really a bandage on a broken system,” said Guernsey. “What we need is an absolute reduction of single-use plastic, replaced with tested solutions like reusable bottles and plastic-free packaging.”