“The only thing being recycled are the false claims of the manufacturers,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D).
Jae C. Hong/AP
E&E NEWS PM | Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued three major plastic bag manufacturers Friday, accusing them of falsely marketing their products as recyclable when the bags can’t be processed by the state’s recycling system.
The lawsuit targets Novolex Holdings, Inteplast Group and Mettler Packaging, which Bonta said violated California’s environmental and consumer protection laws by labeling their bags with the “chasing arrow” symbol and other misleading recyclability claims.
“Plastic bag companies have continued to distribute plastic bags that are not recyclable in California and mislead Californians about their bags’ recyclability,” Bonta said at a news conference. “The only thing being recycled are the false claims of the manufacturers.”
The companies, he said, continued to profit while misleading shoppers. The attorney general is seeking "monetary penalties, disgorgement, and injunctive relief."
The litigation follows a multiyear investigation into plastic bag producers’ compliance with SB 270, a 2014 law that bars the sale and distribution of single-use plastic bags.
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