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Hagens Berman: Amazon Faces Consumer Lawsuit Alleging Deforestation Behind Amazon Basics Paper Products and Greenwashing Cover-up

By: via Business Wire

Lawsuit accuses Amazon of capitalizing on consumers’ environmental concerns with allegedly deceptive claims of sustainability

A new class-action lawsuit filed against Amazon accuses the global retailer of intentionally misleading consumers about the harmful environmental impact of its Amazon Basics toilet paper and paper towel products, according to attorneys at Hagens Berman.

The lawsuit was filed March 14, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and alleges Amazon engages in extensive greenwashing practices while sourcing its paper pulp from suppliers contributing to the deforestation of the sensitive Canadian boreal forest. Attorneys say Amazon's eco-friendly marketing and promotion of its Amazon Basics paper products intentionally target consumers who hope to make environmentally conscious purchases. The lawsuit cites multiple instances in which Amazon misleads consumers in clear violation of the Federal Trade Commission’s “Green Guides” on avoiding deceptive environmental marketing claims.

If you purchased Amazon Basics toilet paper or paper towels, learn more about the lawsuit and your consumer rights.

The lawsuit claims Amazon invests significant advertising resources to market its brand as a leader in environmental responsibility. As part of this effort, the company created The Climate Pledge campaign, even spending an estimated $300-400 million to acquire naming rights to Seattle’s Climate Pledge sports arena. Also, aligned with the program, Amazon developed the Sustainability Leaf and Climate Pledge Friendly logo initiatives. According to Amazon, the logos identify eco-friendly products on its website, and the Climate Pledge Friendly logo helps consumers find products that “help preserve the natural world.”

The Amazon Basics toilet paper and paper towel point-of-sale webpages prominently display both the Sustainability Leaf and the Climate Pledge Friendly logos and a claim that the products are “made with materials from well-managed forests, recycled materials, and/or other controlled wood sources,” and are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), but evidence shows that Amazon’s sourcing practices for these products fall short of these claims.

According to the complaint, Amazon fails to disclose that its Amazon Basics paper products contribute to the devastating destruction of Canada’s boreal forest — one of the last remaining primary forests on Earth. While Amazon has created a fund to support reforestation efforts, the lawsuit claims that none of this funding is directed toward regenerating the boreal forest. Additionally, the suit alleges that Amazon’s bleaching process harms the environment and that its use of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo misleads consumers about the true deforestation impact of its products.

“Amazon has spent hundreds of millions on eco-friendly advertising to give consumers the illusion that it is committed to environmental stewardship,” said Steve Berman, managing partner at Hagens Berman. “In reality, these efforts have been deceptive, contributing to environmental destruction of centuries-old forests, in the pursuit of manufacturing single-use paper that consumers consume for mere seconds and then throw away. Consumers deserve to know the true impact of their purchases — it’s as simple as that.”

The lawsuit brings claims of fraudulent concealment, and violation of state consumer-protection laws pertaining to fraud, unfair competition and deceptive business practices. The lawsuit also alleges that Amazon is in violation of the FTC Green Guides, which have been incorporated into the consumer protection laws of many states.

Hagens Berman’s legal team is well-practiced in consumer rights cases and litigation protecting the environment, having tackled extensive and complex environmental cases including Volkswagen’s diesel emissions cheating ($14.7 billion settlement), dozens of record-breaking consumer-protection lawsuits resulting in billions of dollars in recoveries, as well as a lawsuit against Dole Food Company which culminated in the creation of a water filter project to assist local communities whose water sources had been contaminated due to Dole’s alleged environmental practices.

Find out more about the consumer class-action lawsuit against Amazon related to its Amazon Basics toilet paper and paper towels.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation law firm with a tenacious drive for achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. Since its founding in 1993, the firm’s determination has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

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