Friend,

Companies are using misleading recycling labels to make their products seem better for the environment. We should be able to trust that recycling symbols mean our products can be recycled and given new life as something else, but often that's not the case.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is in charge of what marketing practices companies can use to promote their products, including whether or not those items are recyclable. And from now until April 24, the FTC is accepting public comments on recycling labels.

Deadline April 24: Submit your comment to the FTC for more accurate recycling labels.

One example of a deceptive recycling label is the "widely recyclable" label used on polypropylene plastics. Polypropylene, often labeled with the number 5, is a widely used plastic for containers including yogurt cups and ketchup bottles.

Even though it's widely used, it's not widely recyclable. For many of us, our community's recycling programs don't accept the #5 plastics at all. And even where it is accepted, facilities often send this plastic to the landfill instead.

According to the EPA's most recently available data, only 2.7% of polypropylene plastic packaging is ever recycled.1

And if that plastic isn't recycled, it could end up polluting our oceans, rivers and landscapes.

It shouldn't be so tricky to figure out what can and can't be recycled. We need better, clearer recycling labels that don't allow companies to mislead us.

Without clearer guidelines from the federal government, there are limited options to get companies to change course. We're calling on the FTC to update its guidelines to make sure companies can't market products as recyclable when that's not the case.

Clearer guidelines will help companies and consumers make better choices to help cut down on single-use plastics.

Take action: The Federal Trade Commission can make recycling better for you and me.

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

1. Saabira Chaudhuri, "Your 'Widely Recyclable' Plastic Yogurt Container is Rarely Recycled," Wall Street Journal, August 17, 2022.