For decades, three arrows pointing in a triangular loop have been the iconic symbol for recycling, but that could change. The Environmental Protection Agency — along with thousands of environmentalists and individuals — are urging the Federal Trade Commission to drop the symbol from plastics that aren’t actually recyclable.
Misleading labels and false claims about “green” products confuse the public about what can and cannot be recycled or composted, according to the EPA. Environmentalists are urging the FTC to update its Green Guides — designed to help marketers avoid misleading consumers with environmental claims — to combat the problem.
“We want consumers to get the information that they need to protect human health and the environment,” said Jennie Romer, the deputy assistant administrator for pollution prevention from the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “FTC’s Green Guides are really an essential tool to combat deceptive advertising and prevent pollution.”
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Since 2018, U.S. companies and local recyclers have grappled with a glut of low-value plastics after China effectively banned the import of plastics and other materials. With no markets for what they have collected, regional processing plants have been burdened with paying disposal costs for non-recyclable plastics, said Romer.
“There’s really not a point in collecting and sorting material that then doesn’t have...
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