Class Action Lawsuit Claims Walmart Falsely Advertised Equate Sunscreen as ‘Reef Friendly’

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Walmart has misled consumers by falsely advertising its Equate sunscreen as “Reef Friendly.”

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The 27-page lawsuit claims that Walmart, by labeling the sunscreen as “Reef Friendly” and with an image of a coral reef, aims to capitalize on the growing consumer desire for products that cause minimal environmental damage. Per the suit, an asterisk next to the “Reef Friendly” claim corresponds to a statement in a lower corner of the label that points out that the sunscreen is “Octinoxate, Oxybenzone & Paraben Free.”

However, the case contends that the absence of these chemicals—which are known to be harmful to coral reefs—does not render the product reef-friendly. The complaint charges that, in fact, the sunscreen contains other active ingredients that “pose an equivalent, or even greater threat” to coral reefs, including avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene.

Per the filing, the product also contains numerous inactive ingredients that research has shown are similarly harmful to reef ecosystems.

The lawsuit alleges that, in light of the foregoing, the Equate sunscreen “Reef Friendly” claim is misleading to reasonable consumers, who expect, based on product labeling, that the item has no negative impact on fragile coral reef environments. The suit points out that nowhere does the label disclose that some of the sunscreen’s active and inactive ingredients are, in truth, unsafe for these ocean ecosystems.

The case argues that consumers would not have paid as much for the product, or bought it at all, had they known Equate’s “Reef Friendly” sunscreen actually contained chemicals proven to harm coral reefs.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in New York who purchased Equate’s “Reef Friendly” sunscreen within the state during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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