On May 28, 2025, consumers filed five greenwashing class actions in several federal district courts against Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), the manufacturer of Charmin Toilet Paper and Puffs Tissues. The complaints—filed by plaintiffs in <a href="https://climatecasechart.com/case/alzaidi-v-procter-gamble-co/">California</a>, <a href="https://climatecasechart.com/case/dean-v-procter-gamble-co/">Illinois</a>, <a href="https://climatecasechart.com/case/giarrizzo-v-procter-gamble-co/">Massachusetts</a>, <a href="https://climatecasechart.com/case/dupont-v-procter-gamble-co/">Minnesota</a>, and New York (this case)—alleged that P&G deceptively marketed itself as committed to protecting, regrowing, and restoring primary forests such as the Canadian boreal forest while remaining “complicit in the clearcutting of untouched ancient primary forests” to sell its products. The lawsuits claimed that these representations, which were prominently displayed on the product’s packaging and advertising, were designed to mislead environmentally conscious consumers into believing that P&G products were sustainably sourced. In particular, the complaints highlighted P&G’s use of advertising campaigns like “Keep Forests as Forests” and “Protect-Grow-Restore” messaging. The complaints emphasized the critical importance of preserving boreal forests due to their capacity to store large quantities of carbon in their soil and peat, “making them one of the largest terrestrial carbon sinks on Earth.” The plaintiffs alleged that disturbances to these ecosystems could have far-reaching global consequences. The complaints alleged that although P&G is not engaging in “deforestation,” its actions constitute “forest degradation,” which can be “equally devastating to the long-term health of primary forests,” including biodiversity, carbon storage, and ecosystem health.

Under its “Protect” messaging, P&G allegedly implied that its tissue products were environmentally responsible because they used pulp certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). However, the complaints asserted that P&G failed to disclose its reliance on suppliers engaged in industrial logging practices such as clearcutting and burning. Plaintiffs further argued that P&G’s use of FSC and Rainforest Alliance logos is misleading, noting that only a small portion of its pulp is FSC-certified and that the Rainforest Alliance, which ceased its certification program years earlier, also never operated in Canada’s boreal forest. 

Under the “Grow” component, P&G claimed that for every tree harvested, two are planted. Plaintiffs argued that this too is deceptive, as the replanting often consists of chemically treated monoculture conifers grown for future logging, creating artificial “tree farms” rather than restoring natural forest ecosystems.

The “Restore” promise—highlighting P&G’s partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant one million trees—was similarly criticized as a token gesture. The complaints noted that such efforts cover less than 1% of the area logged annually in Canada’s boreal forest and do not amount to meaningful ecosystem restoration.

The complaints asserted that these representations violate the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides and various state consumer protection laws, including deceptive practices and fraudulent concealment laws. The plaintiffs sought class certification and asserted claims on behalf of nationwide and state-specific classes. They requested injunctive relief to halt the misleading marketing practices, along with restitution, compensatory damages, punitive damages, disgorgement, and attorneys’ fees. They also sought an order requiring P&G to pay both pre- and post-judgment interest on any amounts awarded.

Consolidated greenwashing class actions alleging that the manufacturer of Charmin Toilet Paper and Puffs Tissues deceptively marketed itself as committed to protecting, regrowing, and restoring primary forests.


Willis v. Procter & Gamble Co.

<p>This entry was provided by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. Please see the terms of use for citation and licensing of third party data.</p>

Five Greenwashing Class Actions Filed Against Charmin Toilet Paper and Puffs Tissues Manufacturer

Filed

United States of America

New York

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

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A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Energy derived from biological compounds that are renewable due to their short life cycle within the carbon dioxide cycle.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

People with different national or cultural traditions from the dominant population

Social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced

Activities of industries that extract natural resources, such as mining, oil, and gas, for commercial use.

The activities of industries that transforms raw materials into finished goods through industrial processes.

This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

This sector creates and distributes information and entertainment through television, radio, print, and digital platforms.

This sector includes firms and individuals offering specialised expertise in fields such as law, accounting, consulting, science and engineering.

Activities of businesses and institutions that provide financial services and products to individuals and organisations.

Activities that involve the cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food, fibre, and other products essential for human life and industry.

Activities that relate to the production of goods and services from forests.

Any substance with chemical properties that can cause physical harm to people or damage the environment, including ammonia, carbon monoxide, phosphine, chlorine, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, pesticides, dioxins, microplastics, benzene, asbestos, aflatoxins, fluoride, methanol, and toxins from marine sources.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

Five Greenwashing Class Actions Filed Against Charmin Toilet Paper and Puffs Tissues Manufacturer

Target

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance