# Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims
> **US Federal Trade Commission** · Final revised guides. · Published 1998-05-01 · 63 FR 24240
## Document
- **Document number:** 98-11455
- **Category:** other
- **Agency:** US Federal Trade Commission
- **Federal Register citation:** 63 FR 24240
- **CFR reference:** 16 CFR 260
- **Publication date:** 1998-05-01
## Abstract

The Federal Trade Commission ("Commission") issued Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims ("guides") on July 28, 1992. The guides included a provision for public comment and review three years after adoption to determine whether there was a need for any modifications. In connection with this review, in July 1995 the Commission sought public comment on a variety of issues, and held a two day public workshop-conference on December 7 and 8, 1995. On October 11, 1996, the Commission issued revised guides, but advised that it had not yet completed its review of the Recyclable and Compostable guides because of ongoing relevant consumer research. One purpose of the research was to examine whether "recyclable" and "compostable" claims continue to imply that consumers can recycle or compost the marketed product in their own area. Further, the Commission decided to seek additional public comment on the issue of whether product parts that can be reconditioned and/or reused in the manufacture of new products could be considered "recyclable" under the guides and whether products made from such reconditioned and/or reused parts could qualify as "recycled" under the guides. The Commission has now completed its review of the above issues and is issuing further amendments to the guides, as discussed below. The Compostable guide is amended to clarify that an unqualified compostable claim can be made if a product is compostable in a home compost pile or device, even if municipal or institutional composting facilities are not locally available. This is because consumers are likely to perceive claims of compostability to mean that a product may be composted in a home compost pile or device. The Recyclable guide is modified to allow the term "recyclable" to be used for a package or product that can be recovered from the solid waste stream for reuse or for the manufacture of another package or product, so long as the package or product can be collected through an established

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1998/05/01/98-11455/guides-for-the-use-of-environmental-marketing-claims)
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