The Recycled Materials Attribution Act (RMAA) and Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act have advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, building bipartisan momentum for a more modern, consistent approach to recycling and recycled-content claims nationwide. Taken together, both bills work in tandem to reduce consumer confusion and waste while providing much-needed clarity to support new domestic innovations and investments.

In case you missed it, here’s what was said during the committee hearing:

While discussing the RMAA, Rep. Nick Langworthy said the bill “gives American manufacturers certainty to invest in recycling technologies while ensuring consumers can trust product claims.”

Langworthy went on to explain that the RMAA “prohibits misleading recycled claims and requires claims to be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence, directing the FTC to update its Green Guides and enforce against deceptive claims.”

He also noted that the bill “encourages investment in new recycling technologies without letting anyone slap a recycled label on a product they cannot substantiate” and “replaces a growing patchwork of conflicting state standards with one consistent national standard, so businesses know the rules and consumers can trust the claims they see.”

Rep. Randy Weber spoke in support of the PACK Act, saying, “The bill provides consumer clarity, affordability by reducing costs from differing state labeling, packaging, inventory, and compliance requirements that flow through supply chains to consumers, manufacturing certainty through predictable nationwide rules, and better recovery outcomes by letting manufacturers focus investment on packaging improvements, recycling technologies, and innovation.”

Read Consumer Brands’ letter of support for both pieces of legislation here and the Recycling Leadership Council’s letter of support for the RMAA here. Learn more about how both bills can create a more effective recycling system here.

We encourage Congress to continue championing these crucial recycling bills as they advance through the legislative process.