WASHINGTON, D.C. – Just Zero today welcomed the introduction of the Truth in Labeling Act, legislation that would establish clear federal guidelines for labeling consumer products that are recyclable, compostable, reusable, or refillable. This includes ensuring companies can only label plastic packaging as recyclable when it is actually collected, processed, and recycled into new products at scale.
For decades, many plastic products have carried the familiar chasing-arrows symbol despite having little or no chance of being recycled in practice. The Truth in Labeling Act would help ensure recycling claims reflect real-world outcomes, giving consumers more accurate information while helping address misleading environmental marketing.
"The plastics industry has relied on the chasing-arrows symbol to create the impression that plastic recycling works far more broadly than it actually does," said Peter Blair, Policy & Advocacy Director at Just Zero. "The Truth in Labeling Act would bring much-needed transparency to recycling labels and help consumers distinguish between genuine recyclability and greenwashing."
Just Zero supports policies that reduce plastic pollution by improving transparency, holding producers accountable, and advancing solutions that move beyond the false promise of widespread plastic recycling.
The full release announcing the legislation is available here: Merkley, Correa Launch New Effort to Fix Misleading Recycling Labels
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