Recycled Content

Includes products and packages that contain reused, reconditioned or remanufactured materials, as well as recycled raw material. Previously, “recyclable” included only those products or packages that were reused in the form of “raw materials” in the manufacture or assembly of a “new” package or product. According to the FTC, the expansion of the terms “recyclable” and “recycled content” is consistent with consumer understanding. It also reflects that it is better for the environment to recycle by reusing, since reuse is likely to consume fewer resources than recycling from raw materials. The revised Recycled Content guide also provides that if advertisers use the term “recycled” to describe a product that has been reused, reconditioned or remanufactured, they must disclose that the product has been recycled through reuse, etc., unless that fact is otherwise clear from the context.