Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley and 22 other District Attorney’s Offices throughout the State settled a lawsuit with Amazon regarding the sale of plastic products in the state.
The lawsuit was based on the allegations that Amazon advertised and sold products that contained the misleading claim that they were "biodegradable."
In 2004 California began limiting the sale of plastics claiming they are biodegradable because according to state lawmakers, the ability of plastic to biodegrade depends on the environment it is placed.
Dudley said Californian’s, especially those living in Santa Barbara are willing to pay more for products that say they are biodegradable or organic because of their environmental concerns.
Dudley’s office released a statement that said when prosecutors contacted Amazon regarding their sales of "biodegradable" products they took immediate steps to stop the sales and worked with prosecutors throughout the settlement process.
Amazon agreed to pay more than $1.5 million in civil penalties and investigate costs to settle the case. Santa Barbara County will get $6,000 from the settlement.
Amazon is also not allowed to unlawfully sell or offer plastic products labeled as "biodegradable" without appropriate certification.
