Recycled Materials Attribution Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Langworthy
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create uniform federal standards for recycled-content claims and ban misleading recycled-content marketing, including marketing fuels as recycled.
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- Families and consumers: Stronger protection from misleading labels. Recycled-content claims would have to match defined terms and be supported by reliable evidence.
- Manufacturers and supply chains: Must use the bill's definitions for recycled, recycled content, post-consumer, and pre-consumer material when claiming recycled content. Mass balance accounting can be used only with independent third-party certification and competent scientific evidence.
- Regulators and states: The Federal Trade Commission would enforce violations as FTC Act violations and update the Green Guides within 1 year. States would be preempted from enforcing laws that conflict with the bill's prohibition and enforcement framework.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
New recycled-content rules and mass-balance
If enacted, the bill would define key terms like "recycled content," "post-consumer," "pre-consumer," and "mass balance." It would recognize mass-balance accounting as an acceptable way to substantiate recycled-content claims only when an independent third-party certification system certifies the method and claims are supported by reliable scientific evidence. The FTC would be required to update its Green Guides within one year to reflect these definitions and rules.
Federal preemption of state recycled rules
If enacted, the bill would stop states and local governments from maintaining or enforcing laws that relate to this Act's prohibition on misleading recycled-content claims and its enforcement rules. States could not keep or adopt different rules that conflict with the Act's ban and enforcement approach.
Ban and federal enforcement for recycled claims
If enacted, the bill would ban advertising, marketing, selling, or offering products to consumers with misleading recycled-content claims. The FTC would treat violations like unfair or deceptive acts under the FTC Act and could use the FTC's penalties and enforcement tools. The FTC could issue guidance, but that guidance would not be binding and the agency would have to cite a specific statutory violation to bring a case.
Severability and savings for recycled rules
If enacted, the bill would include a severability clause so the rest of the Act stays in force if a court strikes down part of it. It would also say the Act does not change other federal laws except where it expressly says so and that it sets uniform federal standards only for recycled-content and related claims.
No 'recycled' labels for fuels
If enacted, the bill would bar marketing fuels that are produced and sold as final products as "recycled content." Fuel producers and sellers would not be allowed to represent those fuels as recycled content when sold to consumers.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Langworthy
NY • R
Cosponsors
Gonzalez, V.
TX • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Evans (CO)
CO • R
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Crenshaw
TX • R
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33]
TX • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Cuellar
TX • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Pfluger
TX • R
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Balderson
OH • R
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov