Lawsuit Sends AERT Shares Plummeting

SEATTLE (CN) - A federal class action complaint claims Weyerhaeuser's "virtually maintenance free" ChoiceDek decking products require constant cleaning of black mold and mildew stains caused by contaminated recycled plastic used in the manufacturing process. Shares of co-defendant Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies, which makes the product, fell by 23 percent on the news.

Plaintiffs claim AERT made the products from recycled plastic that was "highly contaminated" with food, and failed to wash the material properly before production, providing the molds with organic material to grow.

Plaintiffs claim that "hundreds of angry customers" have complained about "black spot" problems with ChoiceDek, but the defendants refused to acknowledge the defect or provide refunds.

Lowe's Cos., the exclusive retailer of ChoiceDek, is also named as a defendant in the suit filed by Keller Rohrback.

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