S. 5182: Tracking Plastic Act of 2026

This bill would create a federal working group to study how to track recycled plastic content more accurately across the United States.

What the working group would be

The bill sets up a group made up of representatives from several federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Agriculture, NOAA, Department of State, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and a national laboratory. It would also include representatives from universities and the National Academy of Sciences.

Federal agencies would name the initial members within 90 days after the bill becomes law.

What the group would do

The group would work with states, local governments, tribes, nonprofits, recycling facilities, plastic recyclers, and academic institutions to develop recommendations on two main topics:

• Increasing the use of recycled plastic, especially post-consumer resin, while considering:
  • whether domestic markets have enough capacity to use more recycled plastic;
  • the economic benefits of using recycled plastic in recycling systems; and
  • ways to monitor and measure toxic chemicals in recycled plastic content.
• Improving measurement, traceability, and reporting of recycled plastic content in sectors such as packaging, construction, infrastructure, and automotive manufacturing. This would include considering:
  • standardized ways to collect data on recycled plastics, ideally consistent with international standards;
  • a federal tracking system that could help align state recycled-plastic requirements;
  • ways to make trade data clearer for recycled plastic content, including possible changes to plastic trade codes; and
  • better ways to trace plastic marine debris.

Reports and timeline

The working group would have to submit annual reports to Congress and make them public. Those reports would summarize the recommendations it has developed and identify issues it is still considering.

The working group would end once it has completed its duties, but no later than 10 years after it is created.

Relevant Companies

• WM — Waste Management could be affected if the bill leads to new recycling tracking standards or changes in how recycled plastic is collected and reported.
• RSG — Republic Services could be affected by changes to recycling reporting, sorting, and traceability requirements.
• PKG — Packaging Corporation of America could be indirectly affected if recycled-content standards influence packaging material sourcing and reporting.
• SON — Sonoco could be affected by any changes to packaging recycled-content measurement and disclosure practices.
• WRK — WestRock could be affected by recycled-content tracking and packaging-related standards.
• BERY — Berry Global could be affected because it makes plastic packaging products that may be subject to recycled-content measurement or reporting changes.
• AVNT — Avient could be affected if customer demand or reporting practices change for recycled plastic materials and additives.