NJBIA Deputy Chief Government Affairs Officer Ray Cantor is encouraging New Jersey’s federal representatives to support the Recycled Materials Attribution Act of 2026 as a means of establishing a nationwide framework for recycled-content representations and bring marketing guidance into alignment with evolving recycling technologies.
In letters to Congressmen Frank Pallone (NJ-6) and Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-7), Cantor said national plastics recycling standards are “an enormous opportunity to bolster New Jersey’s advantages in advanced manufacturing while improving our environment.”
“In sectors like pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food production and packaging, the use of modern complex plastic materials has brought significant advances in maintaining sterility, extending product life, and manufacturing products safely and efficiently,” Cantor wrote.
“At the same time, conventional mechanical recycling systems are woefully outdated and cannot handle these modern, complex plastics. Advanced recycling uses safe, proven mechanisms to convert materials back into feedstocks for new products, providing another means of recovering resources that might otherwise be discarded in landfills.
“However, the absence of a consistent federal policy presents a practical challenge for businesses with national and even regional supply chains. The significant fragmentation among state laws increases compliance costs and creates uncertainty for companies considering investments in recycling infrastructure and circular manufacturing,” Cantor wrote.
H.R. 7502 was introduced in February by Rep. Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The bill received a subcommittee hearing last month, but no floor votes, markups, or amendments have been scheduled or completed.
