Recycling Old Tricks- State AGs Probe Plastics Industry Collusion in Latest ESG Probe

25/11/2025 4 min
Recycling Old Tricks- State AGs Probe Plastics Industry Collusion in Latest ESG Probe

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Episode Synopsis

State attorneys general from Florida, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Montana are investigating recycling groups like the U.S. Plastics Pact and GreenBlue Institute, alleging their sustainability goals may amount to antitrust and consumer protection violations. The AGs warn that these environmental organizations could be coordinating to restrict plastic output and mislead consumers on recyclability, potentially functioning as a “group boycott” in violation of state and federal law.

This matters for ESG teams, trade associations, and legal/compliance groups: sustainability collaborations can trigger antitrust scrutiny—even among nonprofits—and joint environmental goals may need to be evaluated for competitive risk.

Hosted by Simone Roach. Based on a blog post by Paul L. Singer, Abigail Stempson, Beth Bolen Chun, and Andrea deLorimier.

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