Back in September 2009 we mentioned that The North Face had been sued by the US Environmental Protection Agency for reportedly claiming that 70 styles of their shoes were “antimicrobial.” To the EPA an “antimicrobial” is technically defined as a pesticide. And because The North Face was claiming to sell a pesticide they must first register that product with the EPA before selling them.
At that time Steve Rendle, the president of VF Outdoor Americas (The North Face’s parent) said that although they disputed the EPA’s claims “we immediately stopped making the claims they found objectionable, removed them from hang tags and our website, and revised the product packaging accordingly.”
Last week, however, VF Corp agreed to settle claims to the tune of $207,500, according on the Reuters wire. Apparently, the EPA’s claims held a little more water than VF’s disputes.
[Link: Reuters]
