U.S. "Chasing arrows" plastic recycling symbol may get tossed in the trash [View all]
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Source: CBS News
The "chasing arrows" logo is universally recognized as a sign to recycle, but the Environmental Protection Agency is now saying it's also universally confusing. It's recommending tossing the symbol for plastics and replacing it with a new one. The proposed change comes amid a growing body of research that suggests that plastic recycling isn't working and that most plastic is still ending up in landfills.
As little as 5% of plastic is actually recycled, according to one recent study. "I've been suggesting this for years now, thinking that's confusing," Kate O'Neill, a professor at University of California Berkeley, said of the logo change. O'Neill studies the global and local politics of waste and recycling. "So, I try and unconfuse people," she said. "But again, it ought to be easier."
The EPA agrees. In April, the agency recommended the Federal Trade Commission get rid of the chasing arrows recycling symbol for plastics, calling it "deceptive or misleading."
"I think the deceptive part is the symbol because that looks like recycling," said O'Neill. "And sometimes we're told it's recyclable just because it shows that."
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chasing-arrows-plastic-recycling-symbol-may-get-tossed-in-the-trash/
EPA comments document sent to FTC for the proposed FTC Rule change (PDF) - https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23789593/epa-comments-to-ftc.pdf
I think the above had been submitted as comments to FTC's proposed Rules update here - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/06/2023-02354/guides-for-the-use-of-environmental-marketing-claims
Since then FTC has held a workshop in May focusing on the recycling and marketing labels (comments due back by June) - https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/07/2023-04589/public-workshop-examining-guides-for-the-use-of-environmental-marketing-claims
Video of FTC's recycling workshop - https://www.ftc.gov/media/talking-trash-ftc-recyclable-claims-green-guides-may-23-2023
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