U.S. Chamber Backs Bill to Certify Recycled-Content Claims

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is urging the House Energy and Commerce Committee to advance H.R. 7502, the Recycled Materials Attribution Act of 2026, calling the bipartisan bill a workable framework for companies making recycled-content claims.

In a letter addressed to Chairman Brett Guthrie and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, the Chamber said the bill would provide "needed clarity" by recognizing mass balance accounting when it is supported by a third-party certification system and competent, reliable evidence. The letter was signed by Marty Durbin, president of the Chamber's Global Energy Institute and senior vice president of policy.

The Committee took up the issue at a legislative hearing, and the Chamber commended members for highlighting it.

What the bill would do

At the core of the legislation is a question of accounting. Mass balance accounting lets manufacturers track recycled inputs across complex production processes rather than tying them to individual batches. The Chamber argues that federal recognition of the method — under third-party certification — would ensure consumers receive truthful information while giving manufacturers a pathway to scale resource-efficient solutions.

The bill also directs the Federal Trade Commission to update its Green Guides, the federal reference for environmental marketing claims, to reflect the definitions and standards established in the Act.

That second provision addresses a growing concern for multistate businesses. "Clear, uniform Federal standards are critical to avoid a fragmented patchwork of rules that can discourage investment, complicate compliance, and undermine consumer confidence," Durbin wrote.

The case for non-mechanical recycling

The letter makes an explicit argument for technologies beyond traditional mechanical recycling. Mechanical recycling "will remain essential, but it cannot address every material, product stream, or end-market need," the Chamber said.

Non-mechanical recycling — a category that includes advanced and chemical processes for breaking down hard-to-recycle materials — is, in the Chamber's words, "indispensable to maximizing material recovery, converting hard-to-recycle materials into valuable feedstocks for new products, and significantly increasing the amount of material that remains in the economy, rather than entering the waste stream."

The business group framed the technology as central to building a circular economy, arguing that federal recognition of these processes would "encourage investment, innovation, and the development of domestic recycling capacity."

Competitiveness angle

The Chamber tied the environmental provisions directly to economic priorities. Businesses across the economy, the letter states, are already investing in innovative materials, stronger supply chains, and practical waste-reducing solutions that align with economic growth goals.

H.R. 7502, the organization argued, "would help align environmental progress with manufacturing competitiveness, supply-chain resilience, and long-term economic growth."

The Chamber commended the bill's sponsors for their leadership and encouraged the Committee to act promptly.

Why it matters

The stakes extend beyond a single accounting method. If enacted, the bill would set a federal floor for how recycled-content claims are verified, preempting the state-level divergence that large manufacturers say raises compliance costs. The FTC's Green Guides have not kept pace with the rapid expansion of non-mechanical recycling capacity, leaving companies without clear federal guidance on how to market products made from chemically or advanced-recycled feedstocks.

For the recycling industry and consumer-goods companies alike, the Committee's next move on H.R. 7502 will signal whether Washington intends to standardize recycled-content attribution — or leave the rules to fragment further.