HARTFORD, Conn. — The state of Connecticut filed a lawsuit against the parent company of Hefty trash bags, accusing them of advertising a line of bags for recycling recyclables, even though the bag itself is not recyclable in Connecticut.
The lawsuit claims Reynolds Consumer Products violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, labeling the product as "Recycling Bags," and it accuses Reynolds of knowing their bags are not compatible with recycling facilities in Connecticut. There is nothing about the bags that make them more recyclable than an average garbage bag, the lawsuit claims.
The plastic recycling bags are marketed as bags designated for disposing of recyclable items, like certain plastics, glass and cardboard, even for curbside pickup. The packaging claims the product was developed for "municipal recycling programs where applicable."
The bags in question are made from low-density polyethylene, and there are no municipal recycling programs in Connecticut that accept and recycle those types of bags, even typical garbage bags, officials said. Any recyclables inside a plastic bag end up diverted to the trash, at least in Connecticut.
Reynolds advertised the transparent bags as “perfect for all of your recycling needs” and "designed to handle all types of recyclables,” which state officials claim are false and deceptive statements.
“Hefty Recycling Bags are not recyclable, and any recyclable items inside them are tossed on the trash heap. But you would never know that based on Reynolds’s false advertisements. Reynolds deceived Connecticut families and undermined our state’s recycling systems. Our lawsuit seeks to hold Reynolds accountable for these intentional misrepresentations,” said Attorney General William Tong.
“Recycling, and increasing the amount we recycle, is a major component of our State’s policy to sustainably reduce the amount of solid waste we dispose of,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “Placing recyclables in plastic bags results in those items being thrown away, which is completely counter to what we need to be doing, and the intent of those residents and businesses doing the right thing by recycling. Contamination in our recycling system is costly, and the materials recovery facilities in our state have been clear that plastic bags in their mixed stream are detrimental and unsafe for their staff and their equipment, and can reduce the value of their commodities. DEEP is committed to working with Attorney General Tong to end this deceptive practice.”
A spokesperson for Reynolds Consumer Products sent a statement to FOX61 on Tuesday evening, saying,
“At this time, we have not received any formal notice of a lawsuit from Attorney General Tong or the state of Connecticut regarding this matter and, therefore, are unable to comment.”
The state asks consumers to not bag their recyclables and to instead use plastic bags for trash, or recycle plastic trash bags at specific plastic film recycling drop-off locations. A list can be found here.
Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at lmyers@fox61.com
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