Plastic bag manufacters file another lawsuit, this time against ChicoBag for saying unflattering things about plastic bags

We've all heard about Save the Plastic Bag Coalition's lawsuits against California cities that adopt plastic bag bans.  (Save the Plastic Bag Coalition is comprised primarily of plastic bag manufacturers and distributors.) Now, a different group of plastic bag manufacturers (Hilex Poly Company, Superbag Operating and Advance Polybag) have sued ChicoBag in federal court in South Carolina for false advertising and unfair competition. The allegations concern ChicoBag's statements about plastic pollution.  Many of the allegedly "false and misleading" statements made by ChicoBag, through its founder Andy Keller and through Chicobag's website, were in relation to ChicoBag's involvement in supporting the movement to ban plastic bags.  This lawsuit is intended to intimidate those involved with this movement just as it begins to gain national momentum.  Since Andy is a business, and sells bags in several states, the plastic bag manufacturers probably picked South Carolina because it does not provide anti-bullying protection like California's SLAPP statutes. The lawsuit is designed to silence his comments about plastic pollution, and put him out of business.

Read an interview with ChicoBag's founder Andy Keller here.

Read a Californians Against Waste article here.