Igloo Cooler Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Environmental, ‘Made in USA’ Claims

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Igloo has falsely advertised that certain cooler products are biodegradable, entirely composed of recycled materials or made in the United States.

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The 30-page lawsuit first contests Igloo Products Corp.’s representations that its ReCool 16-quart cooler is “Biodegradable” and “Made From Biodegradable Materials,” which the case argues leads consumers to believe the product will fully break down within a reasonable time after typical disposal. However, the complaint contends, the Igloo ReCool cooler is usually thrown in the trash and taken to landfills, where environmental conditions prevent significant biodegradation.

“Buried trash in landfills is typically deprived of oxygen, moisture, and beneficial microbes, and is more likely to be ‘mummified’ than decomposed within a meaningful timeframe,” the suit says, calling Igloo’s biodegradable representations “false and misleading.”

The filing also takes issue with the defendant’s front-label claims indicating that certain EcoCool coolers and REPREVE cooler bags are “Made With Post Consumer Recycled Plastic Material” and “Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles.” The lawsuit asserts that these representations—which are often accompanied by the three-chasing-arrows symbol—misleadingly suggest that the products are made with 100 percent recycled materials.

Although some parts of these products, like the outer plastic shell, are made from recycled materials, many significant components—including the foam insulation, interior linings and other structural elements—are not composed of recycled materials, the complaint alleges.

The suit claims the following Igloo products are labeled with misleading recycled content representations:

• EcoCool Little Playmate seven-quart cooler;
• EcoCool Latitude 52-quart cooler;
• EcoCool Latitude 30-quart cooler;
• EcoCool Latitude 90-quart roller cooler;
• EcoCool Latitude 60-quart roller cooler;
• Packable Puffer 20-can cooler bag;
• FUNdamentals Hip Pack cooler bag;
• FUNdamentals Vertical Sling cooler bag; and
• FUNdamentals Messenger cooler bag.

“Nothing in [Igloo’s] labeling or advertising discloses that these products are, at best, partially made from recycled materials,” the case contends.

Per the suit, Igloo’s marketing of the ReCool, EcoCool and REPREVE cooler products allegedly violates the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides, which provide guidance on how companies can avoid making deceptive or unsubstantiated environmental claims.

Finally, Igloo illegally sells products labeled as “Made in the USA” even though the items contain raw materials that are made and sourced from outside the United States, the case contends.

The filing argues that Igloo uses these misrepresentations as a way to induce customers into paying a premium price for its products.

“Had [consumers] known the truth about the ReCool Products [sic] inability to biodegrade under customary landfill conditions, or that only part of the EcoCool/REPREVE Products is made from recycled materials, or that the Made in USA Products were not entirely made of raw materials made and sourced in the United States, they would not have purchased them or would have paid significantly less for them,” the complaint says.

The Igloo cooler lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who purchased any of the ReCool, EcoCool or REPREVE products, or items labeled as “Made in USA,” during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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