Major Retailers in Quebec Face Class Action Over False ‘Recyclable’ Bag Claims

Joey Zukran of LPC Avocats, who is leading the case, highlighted that one of Quebec’s largest recycling facilities, Tricentris, confirmed these bags cannot be recycled. Zukran emphasized that the bags’ rigid nature prevents them from being processed as recyclable materials, thus ending up in landfills instead.

According to Zukran, this misrepresentation constitutes greenwashing—a deceptive practice where companies falsely claim their products are environmentally friendly. The class action lawsuit is significant, potentially impacting millions of Quebec residents who purchased these bags between April 16, 2019, and the present.

The legal proceedings underscore a broader environmental concern: while reusable bags are intended to reduce waste, their actual environmental footprint can be substantial if they are not genuinely recyclable or reused sufficiently. This lawsuit comes amid growing scrutiny over the environmental impact of reusable plastic bags.

Although they are designed to reduce single-use plastic waste, studies have shown that many reusable bags have a higher carbon footprint due to the thicker plastic used in their production. If not reused multiple times, these bags…