Dog poo bags aren’t as green as companies claim, Fresno DA says. Here’s the settlement
Fresno prosecutors announced a settlement Wednesday with companies who sell the bags for picking up dog poop, saying the claims about the products being green were misleading.
Twenty-three district attorney’s offices, including Fresno County District Attorney, said the case of “greenwashing” was settled with Chewy Inc., PetSmart LLC, Petco Animal Supplies Inc. and Target Corporation, according to a news release.
“Greenwashing” refers to marketing that misleads consumers into believing a product has certain environmental benefits over other products.
The companies marketed certain dog waste bags as environmentally friendly and some said the bags were made without plastic, the news release said.
California prohibits the sale of any plastic products labeled with claims that the material is biodegradable, which means they would break down over time naturally.
“As the public becomes more aware of pervasive plastic pollution in our environment, consumers are often willing to pay a premium for products that claim to be environmentally friendly,” the news release said.
The companies agreed to pay out settlements: Chewy, $600,000; Petco, $375,000; PetSmart, $500,000; and Target, $300,000.
Fresno County will get $139,050, according to the district attorney’s office.
The four companies have since taken steps to stop the sales, and cooperated with prosecutors to refine labeling, the news release said.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 12:08 PM.
