ORLANDO, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Manufacturers of bags used for recycling face a lawsuit that alleges those bags aren't made of recyclable materials.
A class action lawsuit was filed Dec. 26 against The Glad Products Company and The Clorox Company in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The plaintiff, Wendy Keirsted, alleges that both companies misled consumers with false advertising claims on their Glad Recycling Trash Bags.
Keirsted argues that she and other consumers purchased the product based on the belief that it was suitable for recycling, a claim she says is deceptive. She asserts that she did not receive the promised benefits or full value of her purchase.
Both defendants are Delaware corporations with headquarters in Oakland, California. They have substantial business operations in Florida where they sell their products through various stores and online platforms, the suit says in explaining why it was filed in Florida.
"It makes sense that consumer fraud authorities are concerned about 'Recycling' bags like Glad’s," the suit says.
"First, these 'Recycling' bags are made with plastic materials that are not recyclable anywhere in the Nation. Second, municipalities will not even accept these bags for recycling use unless they have a 'clear bag' or 'blue bag' program. And most do not.
"Finally, the false Product name and label trick consumers into believing they can bag recyclables outside of these limited programs; when that happens, the entire bag of recyclables is diverted to landfills or incinerators as regular trash. Consumers who care about the environment are unknowingly contributing to making pollution worse—and paying Glad a premium to do so."
Attorney William Wright is pursuing the lawsuit.