To prohibit a person from making a misleading recycled content claim in advertising, marketing, selling, or offering for sale a product to a consumer, and for other purposes.

Legislative bill overview

HR 7502 would prohibit companies from making false or misleading claims about recycled content in their product advertising and marketing. The bill establishes federal standards to prevent "greenwashing"—the practice of exaggerating environmental benefits to mislead consumers about a product's actual recycled material composition.

Why is this important

Consumers increasingly seek environmentally friendly products, but without federal standards, companies can make unsubstantiated recycled content claims that mislead purchasing decisions. This creates unfair competition between honest manufacturers and those making false claims, while undermining genuine recycling efforts and consumer trust in environmental labeling.

Potential points of contention

• Enforcement and definition disputes: The bill requires clarity on what constitutes "misleading" claims and how much recycled content qualifies as genuine—thresholds that industry and advocates may dispute
• Business compliance costs: Small manufacturers may face significant expenses to verify, test, and document recycled content percentages across supply chains
• Jurisdiction overlap: The bill may conflict with or duplicate existing FTC regulations on "green guides" and state-level environmental labeling laws, creating regulatory complexity