EPA may change "chasing arrows" recycling symbol for plastics 02:24. The "chasing arrows" logo is universally recognized as a sign to recycle, but the Environmental Protection Agency is now saying ...

Gary Anderson, 75, who designed the widely known recycling symbol when he was a university student in 1970, at his home in Baltimore. Credit... Justin T. Gellerson for The New York Times.

In a 2019 survey conducted by the Consumer Brands Association on what they labeled the “broken recycling system in America,” 68 percent of respondents said that they assumed any product with ...

The use of the recycling symbol—the familiar three chasing arrows—constitutes a misrepresentation of claims, says the EPA.

By Winston Choi-Schagrin and Hiroko Tabuchi Illustrations by Rinee Shah April 21, 2022. The universal symbol for recycling, known as the “chasing arrows” logo, is stamped on so many things.

Regulators have taken notice. At the national level, the Federal Trade Commission is preparing an update to its “Green Guides” for the use of sustainability labels, including the recycling symbol.

The recycling symbol—those three arrows stamped on myriad plastic items—doesn’t mean what most people think it does, and a California bill wants to change that.

“I do see their point,” Anderson said. “It was meant to be an overarching symbol to say, ‘Hey, this is recycled, this has been recycled or it’s something you can recycle.

Another 29% are unaware of the recycling initiatives and laws in their city or state, and of those who are aware, nearly one in four (24%) admit they still don’t fully understand them.

According to the Consumer Brands Association, many of the people who responded to their 2019 survey were confused about what the seven different recycling symbols actually meant and represented.

In recent years, however, companies have come under scrutiny for being too liberal with their use of the iconic “chasing arrows” recycling symbol: It makes plastic bags and other products seem ...