US Senate bill seeks national standard for recycled-content claims

Senator John Curtis has introduced the Recycled Materials Attribution Act (S. 5674) in the US Senate, a companion to a House bill, to set consistent national standards for recycled-content marketing claims on packaging and to recognise third-party certified mass-balance accounting. The bill directs the Federal Trade Commission to update its Green Guides on environmental marketing claims and has drawn support from America's Plastic Makers and the Recycling Leadership Council.

Why this mattersA single federal standard for recycled-content claims and mass-balance recognition would remove a patchwork of state rules and give packaging makers more certainty for recycling investment.

• S. 5674 was introduced by Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) as a Senate companion to a House bill led by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY)
• The House version recently passed a House subcommittee
• The bill would direct the FTC to update its Green Guides on environmental marketing claims
• It would recognise third-party certified mass-balance accounting for tracking recycled content
• America's Plastic Makers, part of the American Chemistry Council, and the Recycling Leadership Council both support the bill
• An ExxonMobil-commissioned survey cited found 79 percent of respondents consider mass balance appropriate for labelling recycled content

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