Sept 13 - ChicoBag Lawsuit Settled, Plastic Industry to Note Litter Impacts of Bags
ChicoBag Company announced today in a press release that the lawsuit filed against the company by three plastic bag manufacturers has been settled.
The reusable bag company was initially sued by Hilex Poly, Superbag Operating, and Advance Polybag for claims made on the company website regarding environmental impacts of plastic bags, which allegedly caused their businesses "irreparable harm". Since then, Superbag and Advanced Polybag have both dropped from the lawsuit.
The two parties recently met and agreed on a settlement. As part of the agreement, Hilex Poly would provide improved information to the public regarding plastic bags. This includes website information that the bags are easily airborne and prone to becoming litter, printing a reminder on their bags for consumers to "Tie Bag In Knot Before Disposal" to help prevent windblown bag litter, and more accurate citing of recycling facts and statistics.
ChicoBag also agreed to provide citations for its facts and statistics, noting that it had already updated its website in response to the lawsuit. ChicoBag founder Andy Keller concluded,
"Ultimately, I hope this settlement will encourage Hilex Poly and the rest of the plastic bag industry to refrain from filing any future frivolous lawsuits, stop attacking reusable bags, and instead invest their dollars into reducing unnecessary single-use bag consumption and litter, while developing solutions to meet the growing consumer demand for more sustainable products."
As advocates of Extended Producer Responsibility, CAW is pleased to see Hilex Poly take a step in the right direction, taking corporate responsibility for public awareness of its products and their potential impacts.