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S5674119th CongressWALLET

Recycled Materials Attribution Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Curtis, John R. [R-UT]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a single federal standard for recycled-content marketing and allows mass balance accounting under certified systems. It would ban misleading recycled content claims, bar marketing fuels as having recycled content, and direct the Federal Trade Commission to update the Green Guides within one year to reflect the Act's definitions and standards.

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  • Consumers: Labels and advertising would be clearer because recycled-content claims must be supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence and by certified mass balance systems when used.
  • Businesses and marketers: Mass balance accounting could be used only with a third-party certification system that meets defined standards and when evidence is presented non-misleadingly. The bill would also prohibit marketing fuels as recycled.
  • Federal enforcement and states: The FTC would be empowered to enforce the new recycled-content rules under the Federal Trade Commission Act and to issue updated guidance within one year. The bill would preempt state and local laws that regulate the Act's prohibition or enforcement provisions to ensure a uniform federal standard.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New rules for recycled-content claims

This bill would set federal rules for recycled-content claims by advertisers, manufacturers, and sellers. It would allow mass balance accounting only when an independent third-party certifier verifies the claim. Certifiers would have to be independent and not design, make, sell, distribute, or market the certified product. The certifier would need to confirm that attributed recycled content never exceeds the weight of recovered materials introduced. It would also have to account for process losses and require inputs be quantified, allocated, and tracked with an auditable chain of custody. Claims would need competent and reliable scientific evidence. The bill would ban misleading recycled-content claims and ban marketing fuels as recycled content. The FTC would have one year to update the Green Guides and could enforce violations under its unfair or deceptive acts authority. These rules would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Curtis, John R. [R-UT]

UT • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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