November 15, 2021
TerraCycle and 8 Consumer Product Companies Settle Lawsuit Based on “Unlawful and Deceptive Recycling Claims”
Companies Agree to Change Product Labels, TerraCycle Will Also Implement a Supply Chain Certification Program
A settlement has been reached on the lawsuit that The Last Beach Cleanup filed in March 2021 against TerraCycle and eight consumer product companies based on “unlawful and deceptive recycling claims.” The Last Beach Cleanup announced the Settlement Agreement today, “America Recycles Day,” to highlight the need for truth and transparency by product companies on recycling claims and labels, saying that instead of participating in harmful misleading charades, companies should redesign their products to be reusable or truly recyclable or compostable through existing curbside programs and local processing
As part of the settlement, TerraCycle and these eight companies (Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Late July Snacks, Gerber, L’Oreal, Tom’s of Maine, Clorox, and Materne) have agreed to change their product labels, and TerraCycle has also agreed to implement a supply chain certification program.
“Today is ‘America Recycles Day,’ and it’s traditionally a day for corporations to greenwash Americans about bad choices in plastic packaging. But we’re turning the tables today by announcing the settlement of a lawsuit against Terracycle and eight product companies, in which we’re calling for truth and transparency in labels and claims and demanding that companies get real about their packaging and shift to reusables—or if that’s not possible, then truly recyclable and compostable solutions that can be handled in local areas.” –Jan Dell, Founder of The Last Beach Cleanup
The full press release is available here.
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