Attorney General James Uthmeier Leads Multistate Coalition in Calling Out Radical Environmental Groups for Antitrust Violations

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Attorney General James Uthmeier is leading a coalition of attorneys general from Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana in calling out several major environmental groups for coordinating with some of the largest corporations in the U.S. to impose anticompetitive recycling practices that potentially violate state and federal antitrust laws.

"Radical environmental activists do not have the right, nor the avenue, to suppress business operations in our market," said Attorney General James Uthmeier.  "We have reason to believe that the policies of the Consumer Goods Forum, the Green Blue Institute, and the U.S. Plastics Pact are hindering states' economic prosperity by coordinating business behavior, which would constitute violations of Florida's antitrust laws. We will not allow these activist organizations to push misguided policies that can't win at the ballot box and inflate prices for Florida consumers."

The U.S. Plastics Pact, Consumer Goods Forum, and the Green Blue Institute have spent years pushing major corporations to align on restrictive plastic production and packaging standards; actions that could unlawfully restrain competition, increase costs, and limit consumer choice.

By collectively dictating what materials are deemed “recyclable” and setting uniform production and packaging targets, these groups appear to have distorted product quality and driven up prices for consumers.

The letters demand that the environmental groups explain how their coordinated market activities comply with state and federal antitrust laws and provide all supporting documentation.

The coalition warns that participation in collective action organizations such as these raises serious concerns about collusion and market manipulation.

The inquiry will continue in coming months, focusing on whether these coordinated initiatives have unfairly benefited certain corporations or misled consumers about the true costs and impacts of their so-called “sustainable” packaging goals.

Click to view the full letters to the U.S. Plastics Pact, Consumer Goods Forum, and the Green Blue Institute.

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