Consumer Brands Urges Congress to Modernize America’s Recycling System

ARLINGTON, VA - The Consumer Brands Association released the following statement from John Hewitt, senior vice president of packaging and sustainability in support of two pieces of bipartisan legislation being considered on Tuesday by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade: The Recycled Materials Attribution Act (RMAA) and the Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act.

"America's recycling rules are unnecessarily complex and outdated leaving consumers confused and companies navigating a maze of conflicting state rules that make it harder to provide clear, trustworthy information about their packaging while also creating uncertainty for long-term investment in better recycling technologies.

"However, Congress is in a unique position to modernize America's recycling system and improve consumer transparency through two bipartisan bills: the Recycled Materials Attribution Act (RMAA) and the Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act. Together, these bills would establish clear national standards for recyclable and recycled-content claims, require independent, third-party verification so consumers can have confidence that those claims are credible and consistently verified and direct the Federal Trade Commission to modernize its Green Guides, unchanged since 2012, to reflect today's packaging, recycling and labeling technologies.

"We commend subcommittee members on both sides of the aisle for their commitment to advancing these common-sense, bipartisan solutions that will give consumers greater clarity, provide businesses with greater certainty and help keep valuable materials in productive use."

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ABOUT THE CONSUMER BRANDS ASSOCIATION

The Consumer Brands Association champions the industry that makes the products you choose and the brands you trust. From household and personal care to food and beverage products, the consumer-packaged goods industry plays a vital role in powering the U.S. economy, contributing $2.5 trillion to U.S. GDP and supporting 22.3 million American jobs.