Recycling Labels Legislation

The “chasing arrows” symbol on packaging is iconic—and widely misunderstood. Initially designed in 1970 by a student entering a contest sponsored by a box manufacturer for the first Earth Day, it was intended to promote the recycling of paper. However, over the decades consumers began to view the symbol across all package formats as a sign of general recyclability, which is not the case, it’s actually a resin identification code (RIC). To help address this confusion, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) revised its RIC standards to call for use of a solid equilateral triangle with the RIC number inside. This standard has been adopted by some states, but not all.

36 states have laws on the books requiring a resin identification code on plastic bottles, rigid containers, or both. And 29 states still require the use of the chasing arrows symbol. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission announced in 2022 that they were updating their Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, or “Green Guides”, to provide new clarity. The new guides, if and when they are released, are likely to include information on recycling labeling. All of which means a lot of confusion right now for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies looking to sell their products in various states across the US.

TricorBraun’s Snapshots and Insights cover a wide range of packaging-related topics. Click below to get a copy of this insightful Snapshots and Insights report.