Attorney General Rob Bonta is targeting the California makers of reusable plastic bags for recyclability claims.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday announced settlements with four plastic bag producers and filed lawsuits against three others, concluding a statewide investigation into whether the companies’ products met state recyclability standards.

The settlements and lawsuits stem from alleged violations of Senate Bill 270 — the law banning single-use plastic grocery bags while allowing the sale of thicker, reusable versions certified as recyclable in California. Bonta’s office also cited alleged violations of the Environmental Marketing Claims Act, the False Advertising Law and the Unfair Competition Law.

The seven companies collectively supply billions of plastic carryout bags to California grocery retailers. According to the Attorney General’s office, despite labeling claims, the bags “do not, in fact, appear to generally be recyclable, let alone ‘recyclable in the state,’ as SB 270 requires.”

The four companies that reached settlement agreements — Revolution Sustainable Solutions LLC, Metro Poly Corp., PreZero US Packaging LLC, and Advance Polybag Inc. — will collectively pay $1.75 million. That includes $1.1 million in civil penalties and $636,250 in attorneys’ fees and costs. The agreements are pending court approval.

The remaining three companies — Novolex Holdings LLC, Inteplast Group Corp. and Mettler Packaging LLC — now face a lawsuit filed by Bonta’s office seeking monetary penalties, repayment of profits and injunctive relief.

“At the California Department of Justice, we have been unwavering in our commitment to exposing illegal actions at the root of the plastic pollution crisis — not just the environmental harm, but corporate legal violations driving it,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Through our investigation, we are bringing to light how powerful companies have broken the law and prioritized profits over our environment. The consequences of these violations are severe: Billions of plastic carryout bags end up in landfills, incinerators, and the environment instead of being recycled as the bags proclaim. Our legal actions today make it clear: No corporation is above the law.”

Bonta launched the investigation in November 2022, requesting that bag producers substantiate their claims of recyclability. Companies were asked to provide documentation supporting their use of the “chasing arrows” symbol and any related recycling statements.

As part of its probe, the Attorney General’s office conducted a statewide survey of 69 recycling facilities. Only two said they accepted plastic bags, but neither could confirm that the material was actually recycled. The state concluded that “the vast majority of facilities in California do not accept plastic bags or process them for recycling.”

The Attorney General’s office stated that subpoenas issued to the companies revealed that the producers could not provide evidence of recycling activity, nor quantify the share of plastic bags actually recycled in the state.