Federal law stops false recycled-content claims but allows mixing.

What it does

The bill stops companies from making false claims about recycled content. It defines what counts as recycled material. It allows mass balance accounting if a third party checks it. The Federal Trade Commission enforces the rules. One federal standard replaces different state rules.

Who it affects

Consumers get clearer labels and protection against false recycled claims. Companies that make or sell recycled products must follow federal rules. Recycling companies and waste management firms follow the new standards.

One thing to notice

Mass balance accounting lets companies claim recycled content even if products contain mostly new material. A third party must certify it. The bill does not require stating what percentage of a product is recycled.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

13 cosponsors: 8 Republicans, 5 Democrats.

• Feb 11, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 11, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”
• Sep 1, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

40 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 41 reports from Mar 2026 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $31,388,247 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 7 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 99% of bills with any report.

Nicholas Langworthy, who sponsored the bill, received $1,030,415 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $16,950,000 in 1 report
• Dow Chemical Company Dba Dow — $2,740,000 in 2 reports
• American Chemistry Council — $2,570,000 in 1 report
• Exxon Mobil Corp — $1,850,000 in 1 report
• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company Lp — $870,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• recycled content — Material in a product that came from waste or used items instead of new raw materials.
• mass balance accounting — A tracking method that mixes recycled and new materials in production and uses math to prove recycled claims.
• Federal Trade Commission — The government agency that enforces rules against unfair or deceptive business practices.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.