Green Works Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Clorox False Advertising

On August 21, 2017, a class action lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Oakland Branch against the Clorox Company. This Clorox false advertising lawsuit accuses the company of misleading consumers with its labeling and marketing of its “Green Works” brand of cleaning supplies. Green Works cleaning products are a product line of the Clorox company that are promoted as safe for the environment and made of natural ingredients.



The initiating plaintiffs in the Clorox false advertising lawsuit are Adam C., a resident of the State of California and, Adam M., a resident of the State of New York. Both plaintiffs are passionate about eliminating dishonesty in labeling when it comes to products claiming to be naturally-sourced. The two men prefer to purchase products that are organic, plant-based and environmentally benign.

The Clorox Company is headquartered in the City of Oakland, California, and manufactures, markets, and distributes its “Green Works” brand of cleaning products throughout the U.S., which includes California and New York. The Clorox false advertising allegations are directed toward every product in the “Green Works” line.

The Clorox false advertising lawsuit addresses how the Clorox Company allegedly cornered the market on natural cleaners within a year of being on the market with the “Green Works” line using labels with words such as “natural” and phrases such as “naturally-derived” and “safe for the environment”. The company supposedly brought in approximately $200 million in revenue with these products in the first year.

The Clorox false advertising lawsuit also refers to the initial labeling of their compostable wipes in which the label stated the product was 99% naturally-derived. Later, this labeling evidently morphed into a more generic reference that stated the product was 100% naturally-derived with no caveat or remark as to what changed if anything in the formulation.

According to the false advertising class action lawsuit, the labeling also uses pictures of leaves and flowers to mislead consumers while referring them to their website where it is revealed that the products contain several environmentally toxic compounds and known skin allergens. To what percentage these elements are in the cleaning products remains a mystery.

Some of the elements discovered to be in the products are:

• sodium lauryl sulfate, a known skin irritant toxic to marine life;
• boric acid and sodium borate, associated with problems affecting the reproductive system and developmental delays;
• D-Limonene, a known skin allergen toxic to marine life; and
• methylisothyazolinone, an environmental protection agency (EPA)-recognized pesticide highly toxic to freshwater and marine organisms.

The Clorox false advertising lawsuit seeks Class Members who purchased Green Works products from the date of lawsuit filing, retroactive four years, until the date of certification.

The plaintiffs and similarly situated bring the following counts against the Clorox Company: Count One – Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices in Violation of California Consumers Legal Remedies Act; Count Two – Violations of California’s False Advertising Law; Count Three – Violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law; Count Four – Violation of New York General Business Law 349; Count Five – Violation of New York General Business Law 350; Count Six – Unjust Enrichment; Count Seven – Breach of Express Warranty; Count Eight – Breach of Implied Warranty.

The plaintiffs and similarly situated are asking for a trial by jury with a favorable judgement on their behalf. They are asking for monetary damages, statutory damages, and injunctive relief as provided by law. They also are asking for complete return of their court and attorney’s fees.

The case is Adam Cooper and Ryan Matuszewski, et al. v. The Clorox Company, Case No. 3:17-cv-04854-JCS, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.

Consumer False Advertising Class Action Lawsuits

If you purchased a product that was mislabeled or falsely advertised, you may have a legal claim. Consumer false advertising class action lawsuits hold companies liable for telling the truth in advertising and on product labels.

If you think you have a case, fill out the form on this page now for a free review of your claims by the consumer false advertising attorneys at Bradley/Grombacher.