WASHINGTON, D.C.—Plastic Pollution Coalition, a project of Earth Island Institute, filed a complaint in the District of Columbia Superior Court on July 25, 2025, against Just Goods, Inc., makers of Just Water-branded water, for alleged “false and deceptive marketing” in violation of the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA). Just Goods promotes Just Water products as sustainable, “natural,” and “pure,” despite test results revealing that Just Water products contain health-harming microplastics.
While Just Water advertises its products as “natural,” and “pure” “100 percent Spring Water,” an independent laboratory evaluation revealed microplastics in Just Water’s packaged water products. Microplastics and nanoplastics are known to accumulate throughout the human body and have been linked to serious health problems. Ironically, Just Water’s consumer-facing website describes some of the risks of microplastics and nanoplastics to human health.
These findings run contrary to Just Water’s advertising claims.
Just Water’s brand image is centered around environmental sustainability, despite the company’s significant contribution to plastic pollution. Just Water, which sells water in aluminum cans and Tetra Pak cartons, markets itself as a superior alternative to other packaged water companies, which typically package their products in plastic bottles. On its packaging and website, it emphasizes the sustainability of recycling its products’ packaging—despite the challenges inherent in recycling multilayer Tetra Paks and coated aluminum cans.
As alleged in Plastic Pollution Coalition’s complaint, Just Water perpetuates misleading industry narratives around recycling its multilayer Tetra Paks and aluminum cans, telling consumers that “by increasing the fiber content and reducing the plastics and aluminum, our packaging is more attractive to recyclers and easier to recycle.” Other messaging on Just Water’s products’ packaging and website contains the claim “recyclable.” As the complaint alleges, plastic is not designed to be recycled, and most items made partly or fully from plastic, including Tetra Pak containers that are collected for recycling, are never actually recycled. Instead, the majority of Tetra Paks that are collected for recycling are sent to landfills or incinerators, or are shipped overseas, perpetuating plastic production and its resultant plastic pollution, and environmental injustices.
Julia Cohen, MPH, Co-founder and Managing Director of Plastic Pollution Coalition, said: “Multilayer packaging made with plastic and other materials used to package water is not more healthy and sustainable than plastic bottles. These single-use containers are not only a significant source of plastic pollution, but they also release microplastics into the water they hold—and into our bodies. Consumers deserve to receive accurate statements about the lack of recyclability of multilayer cartons and the real risks of consuming water from containers made with plastic—whether plastic bottles or multilayer cartons.”
