Walmart, Reynolds Sued by Minnesota Over Plastic Bag Marketing

Jun 02, 2023

Minnesota filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Walmart Inc. and Reynolds Consumer Products Inc. saying they falsely marketed plastic trash bags as recyclable.

State Attorney General Keith Ellison asked the court to find maximum civil penalties for Walmart and Reynolds, the maker of Hefty brand trash bags.

Ellison claimed the companies are profiting from "defrauding and deceiving" Minnesotans with misleading advertisements.

The trash bag packaging says they are suitable for recycling, but the bags aren't recyclable, the suit said. The bags, along with the items placed inside, wind up in landfills despite consumer intentions, it said.

Material recovery facilities in Minnesota cannot process the bags, which are made of low-density polyethylene plastic. They can cause machines to malfunction and start fires, according to the complaint.

"I’m holding Reynolds and Walmart accountable for putting their ill-gotten profits ahead of people, our environment, and the law," Ellison said in a press release.

Ellison accused Walmart and Reynolds of deliberately misleading customers, noting language changes on their products in recent months. For example, Reynolds shifted responsibility onto the consumer by instructing them to contact local municipalities about the bags, even though none in Minnesota accepts them.

The lawsuit also requested the court order the defendants to fund an educational program in Minnesota about recyclable materials.

The case is Minnesota v. Reynolds Consumer Products, Inc., Minn. Dist. Ct., 6/6/23.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christine Zhu in Washington at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Zachary Sherwood at [email protected]

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