Hefty ‘Recycling’ Bags Made from Material That Cannot Be Recycled, Class Action Says

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A proposed class action claims that Hefty-brand “Recycling” bags are not recyclable at solid waste disposal facilities in Florida and elsewhere.

The 13-page suit against manufacturer Reynolds Consumer Products specifies that the Hefty “Recycling” bags at issue are made from low-density polyethylene and thus not recyclable themselves, even if the contents therein might be. The case alleges Reynolds has violated Florida law by materially misrepresenting that the 13- and 30-gallon Hefty bags are suitable for recycling. 

“Had Plaintiff known that the Hefty Recycle [sic] Trash Bags product was not as advertised, she would not have purchased the product,” the filing states. “As a result of Defendants’ deceptive and unfair acts, Plaintiff and Class members have been damaged.”

When the Hefty bags are delivered by waste haulers to Florida solid waste disposal facilities, the bags and their recyclable contents are not taken to a recycling facility but instead treated as regular solid waste materials, the complaint says. The items within a Hefty “Recycling” bag—cardboard, glass, aluminum—ultimately end up in landfills or incinerators and are not recycled, the lawsuit relays. 

Per the case, Reynolds prominently emphasizes that the Hefty bags at issue are “designed to handle all types of recyclables” and “transparent for quick sorting and curbside identification.” 

The suit looks to represent all Florida residents who bought Hefty Recycling Trash Bags through the date of class certification.

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