ESG Enforcement Tracker

A class action lawsuit has been filed against P&G for allegedly intentionally misleading consumers into believing that its Charmin toilet paper is produced in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The lawsuit focusses on key promises and slogans that P&G have used in its marketing of Charmain toilet paper.  Specifically, P&G:

1. Claims to only use wood pulp sourced from FSC-certified forests (i.e. a forest that is being managed to preserve biological diversity and sustainability).
2. Plants one or two trees for every tree cut down. Images of dense forest and the slogan “Keep Forests as Forests” is used.
3. Uses a “Protect-Grow-Restore” logo and the Rainforest Alliance Certification.

The consumer plaintiffs are arguing that P&G’s marketing is entirely misleading and inaccurate as in reality:

1. P&G source the wood pulp for the toilet paper from harmful logging practices.
2. Only a small percentage of the wood pulp used in Charmin toilet paper is actually sourced from FSC-certified forests.
3. P&G suppliers spray chemicals to intentionally limit growth to only the tree species most valuable for logging purposes.
4. The use of the Rainforest Alliance Certified logo is misleading because the Rainforest Alliance does not operate in the forests that P&G use.

The lawsuit alleges P&G are in clear violation of the US Federal Trade Commissions “Green Guides” which are designed to avoid misleading environmental marketing claims.