House committee advances chemical recycling bill as group presses six paper makers over AF&PA stance

The US House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 28 to 19 on 16 September 2026 to send H.R. 7502 to the House floor, a bill that would count advanced recycling as recycling and set a national standard for recycled-content labelling claims, overriding state rules. The American Forest & Paper Association opposes the bill. Conservative group Consumer Action for a Strong Economy has written to International Paper, Pratt Industries, Kimberly-Clark, Packaging Corporation of America, Smurfit Westrock and Procter & Gamble, all of which have executives on the AF&PA board, asking them to make the association drop its opposition or reconsider membership.

Why this mattersFederal rules on recycled-content claims would set one standard across the states and expose the split between paper and plastics recycling interests.

• The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 28 to 19 on 16 September 2026 to advance H.R. 7502, sponsored by Republican New York Rep. Nick Langworthy.
• The bill would set a national standard for when a product can be labelled as made with recycled material and would override state rules on those claims.
• AF&PA opposes the bill, spokesperson Lindsay Murphy told Politico; the association says recycled-content claims should reflect the material actually in the product.
• Consumer Action for a Strong Economy sent September letters to International Paper, Pratt Industries, Kimberly-Clark, Packaging Corporation of America, Smurfit Westrock and Procter & Gamble.
• The letters ask each company to make AF&PA stop opposing advanced recycling legislation or reconsider its board membership.
• Texas Rep. Marc Veasey was the only Democrat to vote for the bill, and no Senate version has been introduced.