A California appeals court last week affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action in which plaintiffs accused Fiji Water Co. LLC of improperly promoting its bottled water. Ayana Hill v. Roll International Corp. et al., No. A128698 (Cal. Ct. Appeal, 1st Appellate District).
Plaintiff Hill alleged she bought bottles of Fiji water, on the label of which was a green drop; she claimed that the drop somehow represented Fiji bottled water was environmentally superior to other waters and endorsed by an environmental organization. Hill filed a proposed class action on behalf of herself and other consumers of Fiji bottled water, asserting violations of California's Unfair Competition Law (UCL) (Bus. & Prof. Code, § 17200 et seq.), False Advertising Law (FAL) (§ 17500 et seq.), and Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) (Civ. Code, § 1750 et seq.), plus common law fraud and unjust enrichment.
Readers know that the term “green” is commonly used to describe the environmentally friendly aspects of products, and that concerned about over-use of such terms, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued standards known as “Green Guides” to describe the appropriate use of such labeling. The Federal Trade Commission last Fall proposed revisions to the guidance that it gives marketers to help them avoid making misleading environmental claims. The proposed changes were designed to update the Guides and make them easier for companies to understand and use. The changes to the Green Guides included new guidance on marketers’ use of product certifications and seals of approval, “renewable energy” claims, “renewable materials” claims, and “carbon offset” claims.
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