[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6832 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6832
To amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to include requirements for
recyclable, compostable, and reusable claims for packaging for a
consumer product, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 17, 2025
Mr. Weber of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to include requirements for
recyclable, compostable, and reusable claims for packaging for a
consumer product, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Packaging and Claims Knowledge Act
of 2025'' or the ``PACK Act''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR RECYCLABLE, COMPOSTABLE, AND REUSABLE CLAIMS
FOR PACKAGING FOR A CONSUMER PRODUCT.
The Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) is amended
by inserting after section 26 the following:
``SEC. 27. RECYCLABLE, COMPOSTABLE, AND REUSABLE CLAIMS FOR PACKAGING
FOR A CONSUMER PRODUCT.
``(a) Compostable, Recyclable, and Reusable Claims.--
``(1) Recyclable claims.--
``(A) Deceptive claims prohibited.--A person may
not claim that packaging for a consumer product is
recyclable if the packaging is not recyclable.
``(B) Qualifying claims of recycling required.--
Except as provided in subparagraph (C), a person shall
clearly and prominently qualify the description of a
recyclable claim by informing consumers about the
availability of recycling programs and collection sites
where the item is sold--
``(i) by including the percentage of
consumers or communities that have access to
recycle the packaging for the consumer product;
or
``(ii) by including qualifications that
vary in strength depending on availability.
``(C) Exemption from qualified claims for
availability.--A person is exempt from the requirement
of subparagraph (B) if--
``(i) a recycling program or facility is
available to a substantial majority of
consumers or communities in which the consumer
product is sold; and
``(ii) the entire consumer product package,
excluding any minor incidental component, is
recyclable.
``(D) Not recyclable.--The following circumstances
are not considered recyclable for purposes of this
paragraph:
``(i) A case in which any component of the
consumer product packaging significantly limits
the ability to recycle the packaging of the
consumer product.
``(ii) A case in which packaging for a
consumer product that is made from recyclable
material, but, because of the shape, size, or
some other attribute of the consumer product
packaging, is not accepted in recycling
programs.
``(2) Compostable claims for consumer product packaging.--
``(A) Deceptive claims prohibited.--A person may
not make a claim that packaging for a consumer product
is compostable if the packaging is not compostable.
``(B) Evidence required.--A person that claims
packaging for a consumer product is compostable shall
have competent and reliable scientific evidence that
the packaging is compostable.
``(C) Qualifying claim of compostability
required.--A person shall clearly and prominently
include a qualifying description on any claim that the
packaging for a consumer product is compostable to the
extent necessary to inform consumers about the ability
of the packaging to be composted if--
``(i) the consumer product packaging cannot
be composted safely or in a timely manner in a
home compost pile or device;
``(ii) the claim misleads reasonable
consumers about the environmental benefit
provided when the consumer product packaging is
disposed of in a landfill; or
``(iii) municipal or institutional
composting facilities are not available where
the item is sold to a substantial majority of
consumers or communities.
``(3) Reusable claims for consumer product packaging.--
``(A) Deceptive claims prohibited.--A person may
not claim that packaging for a consumer product is
reusable if the packaging is not reusable.
``(B) Means for reuse required.--A person may not
make an unqualified reusable claim for consumer product
packaging unless the person provides the means for
reusing the packaging through--
``(i) providing a system for the collection
and reuse of the packaging; or
``(ii) offering for sale a product that
consumers can purchase to reuse the original
packaging.
``(4) Use of resin identification codes.--Consumer product
packaging that is not eligible to bear a compostable,
recyclable, or reusable claim shall not bear a resin
identification code that is surrounded by three chasing,
triangulated arrows, except that such packaging may bear a
resin identification code that is surrounded by an equilateral
triangle, consistent with ASTM International Standard D7611/
D7611M-19.
``(5) Third-party certification.--A person may not make a
claim that packaging for a consumer product is compostable,
recyclable, or reusable unless an accredited third-party
certification body has certified such claim.
``(6) Rule of construction.--This section may not be
construed to apply to packaging that is not for a consumer
product.
``(b) Commission Guidance.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Commission shall issue
guidance for a person to be in compliance with subsection (a)
that includes the following:
``(A) Criteria for accreditation bodies to consider
in accrediting third party certification bodies,
including whether--
``(i) a third party certification body
meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17065:2012,
including any amendment; and
``(ii) such body is qualified to certify
compostable, recyclable, and reusable claims
for consumer product packaging consistent with
the requirements described in this section.
``(B) A consideration of different types of
consumer product packaging materials, including paper,
plastic, glass, metal, or a combination thereof.
``(C) A consideration of different colors, shapes,
and sizes of consumer product packaging materials.
``(2) Rules and regulations prohibited.--Notwithstanding
section 6(g), the Commission may not issue any binding rule or
regulation under this section.
``(3) Personnel and formation of advisory council.--In
issuing guidance and in administering the provisions of this
section the Commission shall--
``(A) work with and consider input from the
Administrator to leverage the knowledge of the
Environmental Protection Agency on issues related to
waste and product lifecycle management, including on
issues relating to the use and management of
compostable, recyclable, and reusable consumer product
packaging; and
``(B) not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Commission shall
establish an advisory council that meets at least
annually and is comprised of subject matter and
technical experts representing industry stakeholders,
including packaging material suppliers, manufacturers
of consumer products, and entities involved in the
collection and management of discarded consumer product
packaging.
``(c) Enforcement by Federal Trade Commission.--
``(1) Unfair and deceptive acts or practices.--A violation
of this section shall be treated as a violation of a rule
defining an unfair or deceptive act or practice prescribed
under section 18(a)(1)(B).
``(2) Powers of the commission.--
``(A) In general.--The Commission shall enforce
this section in the same manner, by the same means, and
with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as
though all applicable terms and provisions of this
section were incorporated into and made a part of this
section.
``(B) Privileges and immunities.--Any person that
violates this section shall be subject to the
penalties, and entitled to the privileges and
immunities, provided in this Act.
``(C) Compelled claims.--The Commission may not
compel, require, or otherwise mandate a person to make
a claim that consumer product packaging is compostable,
recyclable, or reusable.
``(3) Preemption.--A State and political subdivision of a
State may not establish, enforce, or continue in effect any
provision of law or a legal requirement that is not identical
with any requirement under this section.
``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Accreditation.--The term `accreditation' means a
determination by an accreditation body that a third-party
certification body meets the applicable requirements of ISO/IEC
17065:2012, including any amendment, and is qualified to
certify compostable, recyclable, and reusable claims for
consumer product packaging.
``(2) Accreditation body.--The term `accreditation body'
means a person that performs accreditation of third-party
certification bodies and is in compliance with ISO/IEC
17011:2017, including any amendment.
``(3) Accredited third-party certification body.--The term
`accredited third-party certification body' means a third-party
certification body that an accreditation body has determined
meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17065:2012, including any
amendment, and is qualified to certify and is certifying
compostable, recyclable, and reusable claims for consumer
product packaging.
``(4) Administrator.--The term `Administrator' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
``(5) Claim.--The term `claim'--
``(A) means any statement or representation that is
conveyed through any means, including through writing,
symbols, marks, graphics, or electronic or digital
links; and
``(B) does not include any instruction regarding
how to recycle, compost, or reuse packaging.
``(6) Commission.--The term `Commission' means the Federal
Trade Commission.
``(7) Compostable.--The term `compostable' means the
packaging is designed to be associated with materials collected
for composting that meets ASTM or equivalent industrial
compostability standards, and similarly appropriate standards
for the case of home compostability, and is capable of breaking
down into, or otherwise becoming part of, stable and mature
compost at an appropriate industrial composting facility, or in
a home compost pile or device.
``(8) Consumer product.--The term `consumer product'
means--
``(A) any tangible product;
``(B) that is--
``(i) sold, offered for sale, or
distributed in the United States, or intended
to be sold, offered for sale, or distributed in
the United States; and
``(ii) to a person that is an individual
consumer and not a trust, firm, joint stock
company, corporation (including a government
corporation), partnership, association, State,
municipality, commission, political subdivision
of a State, or any interstate body, including
any department, agency, and instrumentality of
the United States; and
``(C) which is normally used or consumed by an
individual consumer, including for personal,
recreational, educational, family, household, or
personal property maintenance or care purposes,
including any product that is ordinarily available for
purchase by an individual consumer.
``(9) Packaging.--The term `packaging' means any material
that is used for the containment, protection, handling,
delivery, and presentation of a tangible product that is sold,
offered for sale, or distributed in the United States.
``(10) Person.--The term `person' means any individual,
partnership, corporation, trust, estate, cooperative,
association, or other entity.
``(11) Recyclable.--The term `recyclable' means that
packaging can be collected, sorted, reprocessed, and ultimately
reused in manufacturing or to make another item.
``(12) Reusable.--The term `reusable' means the packaging
is designed to accomplish within the life cycle of the
packaging more than one trip, rotation, or use for the same
purpose for which the packaging was primarily designed.
``(13) Substantial majority.--The term `substantial
majority' means 60 percent or more.
``(14) Third-party certification body.--The term `third-
party certification body' means a person that is eligible to be
considered for accreditation to evaluate, develop, and certify
compostable, recyclable, and reusable claims for consumer
product packaging.''.
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