Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sued Reynolds Consumer Products for violating the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act by falsely marketing Hefty 'Recycling Bags' as recyclable and suitable for recycling programs, despite knowing they are incompatible with Connecticut's recycling facilities and cause contamination. The lawsuit seeks damages, injunctive relief, and other remedies to stop the deceptive practice.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages including disgorgement of profits and civil penalties, as well as non-monetary relief such as an injunction to prevent further deceptive marketing, corrective notices to consumers, and requirements to prevent harm to Connecticut's recycling systems.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with suppliers of raw materials, customer contracts with retailers (especially those involving private-label or co-branded products), and marketing/licensing agreements where product claims are made. Specific clauses to scrutinize include representations and warranties regarding product recyclability and compatibility with municipal programs, marketing and advertising compliance clauses, indemnification provisions for false or misleading claims, and termination clauses triggered by regulatory action or misrepresentation. Changes may be needed to require substantiation of all environmental claims (e.g., third-party certifications, facility compatibility tests), mandate pre-approval of marketing language, and include audit rights to verify ongoing compliance with stated recyclability attributes.
Entity
Reynolds Consumer Products
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2022-press-releases/ag-tong-sues-reynolds-over-hefty-recycling-bags
hefty complaint pdf.pdf?rev=e2addf904676477185c9a10d8cc2eff2
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2022/hefty-complaint-pdf.pdf?rev=e2addf904676477185c9a10d8cc2eff2&hash=DE2C2FAD50FB82945593B04F101D37DB
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.