The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a July 22nd hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Strengthen Consumer Protection in a Changing Marketplace. Two ISPA-supported pieces of legislation — the Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act (H.R. 6832) and the Recycled Materials Attribution Act (RMAA) (H.R. 7502) — were on the agenda. 

Currently, companies that sell packaged products must comply with a patchwork of state laws related to recyclable, compostable, and reusable claims on packaging. This causes interstate commerce issues for businesses and consumer confusion about proper packaging disposal. Both the Pack Act and the RMMA aim to address these issues. 

The PACK Act would establish a federal framework administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for making recyclable, compostable, and reusable claims on consumer packaging. Key elements of the PACK Act include mandatory third-party certification for sustainable packaging claims and state preemption from enacting or enforcing requirements that are not aligned with federal standards. 

The RMAA would establish a federal standard for recycling and recycled content marketing claims and require the FTC to update its Green Guides. Further, the RMAA formally recognizes advanced and chemical recycling technologies and allows third-party certified mass-balance accounting to verify recycled content. 

ISPA plans to submit a statement for the record in support of the PACK Act and RMAA. ISPA will keep its membership updated regarding any significant developments related to this legislation.