Four companies will pay over $1.77 million in fines as part of a settlement with 23 California district attorneys’ offices over allegations that the companies sold dog waste bags falsely advertised as being environmentally friendly.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley announced Wednesday that Chewy Inc., Petco, PetSmart and Target would pay, $600,000, $375,000, $500,000 and $300,000, respectively.
The settlement also bars the companies from making similar false claims in the future.
Prosecutors alleged that each of the companies made misleading or false claims about their pet waste bags — such as that the bags were biodegradable or plastic-free — to market toward customers who might pay more for environmentally friendly products.
“Dog lovers who care about the environment are often targeted by deceptive advertising about the environmental benefits of certain single-use plastic bags,” O’Malley said in a statement. “These settlements are a win for California consumers who want accurate information about the environmental impact of the plastic bags and other plastic products they buy.”
In reality, O’Malley’s office said, plastic dog waste bags are typically thrown into landfills where the lack of sunlight, moisture and oxygen prevent biodegradation from happening. Even the dog waste itself isn’t compostable in municipal or industrial facilities because it often contains harmful contaminants such as E. coli or other bacteria.
Some of the bags marketed as plastic-free were in fact made with plastic, prosecutors said.
In a statement, the District Attorney’s Office said the four companies were cooperative, after being contacted about their products, and have all agreed to change their processes in order to be compliant with false advertising prohibitions moving forward.
$20 says the primary buyers of biodegradable poop bags are people who leave them by the side of the road for someone else to deal with. Now they can say, “Hey, it’s biodegradable. I did my part!” They conveniently omit the part about disposing the bag properly.
It’s an epidemic. Bloogle it and you’ll see.
Sounds like a load of sh!t if you ask me.
Pocket change for such large companies. The CEO’s probably make that much in a month.
And here is another reason I never pick up my dog’s poop I just leave it where he does it no fuss no must don’t have to worry about any plastic bag disintegrating or not in any landfill and the poop will just be one fertilizer…
Do you think the property owners where you left your dog’s poop would agree with you?
In all actuality dog waste is toxic to grass and plants. Highly acidic due to there high protein diets. I’m guessing sarcasm was interjected.
huh? maybe go get the BLM and Antifa terrorists that burned and looted cities across this country
#DemocratsWastingTimeLikeStealingMoney
Oh, no… The liberals and Democrats had absolutely no problem with all that. And that was all excused from the covid restrictions too. They’re a bunch of hypocrites!
Just wondering if the folks that bought the product will be reimbursed, or will the settlement be disbursed among the D.A.s and the county employees.
I bet you wrote that as a silly question.
I doubt the settlement of 1,775,000 is enough when split between the 23 counties that sued to recoup their litigation expenses. Oh wait, your tax dollars will be kicked in to make up the difference, all about the $$$.
Tackling the real issues of today.
Welp, I threw up 3 times reading that. This is why I can never have a dog.
Can’t begin to tell y’all how relieved I am, knowing our communities have been saved from misrepresented pet waste bags.
OR
Merely another example of legally picking Deep Pockets
Remember when Lowes was hauled into Court because they sold 2×4 lumber that wasn’t actually 2″ x 4″ ? Ordered to pay $1.6M for falsely advertising lumber sizes.
Caliornia, . . .
where they’ll have to pry from my cold, dead hand, my high capacity box of plastic straws.
“my high capacity box of plastic straws” LOL!!
keep up the good work 🙂
p.s. hey joe, how many f-15s or nuclear bombs have you used against Americans so far?
Fix the pot holes.
Class action suit, eh? I recently received a check from a class-action lawsuit I never even knew I was part of…a whopping $3.06. TOTALLY worth all the trouble. Lol