The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cracked down on the plastics industry’s use of misleading accounting methods to inflate recycled content claims, marking a significant federal move to curb greenwashing in product labeling.
Lisa Song reports for ProPublica.
In short:
- The EPA's new policy prohibits the plastics industry from using the mass balance method to falsely advertise recycled content in products.
- Products labeled with the “Safer Choice” endorsement must now contain at least 15% post-consumer recycled content, calculated by weight.
- This decision is part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to tackle plastic pollution and promote truthful labeling.
Key quote:
“This is the turning point” that will allow us to start killing the “hoax” of mass balance.
— Jan Dell, founder of The Last Beach Cleanup
Why this matters:
The EPA’s move means that any products endorsed under its "Safer Choice" label must now meet stricter, more transparent standards. This is a win for consumers who care about making genuinely sustainable choices and a signal that the government won't tolerate such corporate sleight of hand. Read more: Recycling plastics “extremely problematic” due to toxic chemical additives.
