The Demise of U.S. Labor: Ecommerce Accountability from Unlawful Overseas Sellers
, by Planet Green, 2 min reading time
California - 9/6/2023 - Planet Green Cartridges, Inc., a U.S. printer cartridge recycler and remanufacture, filed a $500 million lawsuit against tech giant Amazon. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon has engaged in false advertising and unfair competition by participating in the sale of newly manufactured clone printer ink cartridges that are deceptively marketed as "remanufactured" and misrepresented as eco-friendly recycled products.
Read complaint: Planet Green v. Amazon, Case Number 2:23-cv-06647.
The claim details how Amazon has been pivotal in the sale and distribution of falsely advertised clone printer cartridges, and how these products saturate its platform at the expense of the U.S. printer cartridge remanufacturing and recycling jobs.
A once thriving industry
In the 1980s, the remanufacturing industry for printer cartridges was established in the United States. By mid-2000s, United States printer cartridge remanufacturing grew into an estimated $7 billion industry boasting thousands of U.S. companies comprised of remanufacturers, used cartridge collectors, suppliers, resellers, trade publications and expos. The printer cartridge remanufacturing industry evolved as a solution to divert millions of used printer cartridges away from U.S. landfills generated by the original equipment manufacturers of printers and turned the waste into a low-cost, reusable product for the consumer.
Now the U.S. remanufacturing industry is on the verge of extinction. The anti-competitive behavior is the driving force behind the proliferation of counterfeit remanufactured ink cartridges saturating the U.S. market, deceiving consumers, undercutting legitimate remanufacturers, and leaving the recycle stream with an overwhelming amount of plastic waste.
Planet Green CEO, Sean Levi observes, “Not too long ago our products were on backorder because of demand. Dealers would place orders, and we would have to reach out to a network of cartridge brokers or other remanufacturers to purchase empty cartridge cores. Now those businesses along with those jobs are gone.”
The lawsuit has been formally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and represents a critical facet of Planet Green's broader initiatives to reduce plastic waste, protect the environment, and promote a circular economy. To learn more and get involved, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/Accountability-Together-We-Can-Make-A-Difference.
About Planet Green:
Established in 1999, Planet Green, located in Chatsworth, California, is one of the last remaining printer cartridge recyclers and remanufacturers in the U.S. The business is focused on diverting used printer cartridges from landfills and remanufacturing them for resale as an environmentally friendly and economical alternative. To learn more, visit planetgreenrecycle.com
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