US House committee advances national recycled-content claims bills

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced the Recycled Materials Attribution Act (RMAA) and the Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act, both aimed at setting a single US national standard for recycled-content and recycling claims. The RMAA would direct the Federal Trade Commission to update its Green Guides and enforce against unsubstantiated recycled claims, replacing a patchwork of state rules. Both bills now move further through the legislative process in Congress.

Why this mattersA single US federal standard for recycled-content claims would remove compliance costs from state-by-state labelling rules and give manufacturers clearer grounds to invest in recycling technology.

• The RMAA and PACK Act cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee on 18 September 2026
• The RMAA would require recycled claims to be backed by scientific evidence and direct the FTC to update its Green Guides
• The RMAA is intended to replace differing state recycled-content labelling standards with one national standard
• Rep. Randy Weber said the PACK Act aims to cut compliance costs from differing state labelling and packaging requirements
• Consumer Brands Association and the Recycling Leadership Council issued letters of support for the bills

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