The bipartisan REUSE Act has moved a step closer to becoming law, with its recent introduction in the House of Representatives.
The Research for Environmental Uses and Sustainable Economies (REUSE) Act was referred Feb. 4 to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee. Reps. Joe Neguse, Democrat from Colorado; Vern Buchanan, Republican from Florida; and Luis Correa, Democrat from California, sponsored the bill.
In November, the US Senate voted unanimously to pass HR 7370, which would require the US EPA to gather data on reuse and refill systems across industries including consumer packaging, personal care products and wholesale shipping of retail goods.
The agency also would need to provide guidance on the support needed at the local, state and federal level to advance reuse and refill across the country.
In the past year or so, momentum has built for reusable packaging options as well as for federal initiatives to harmonize sustainability regulations, including recycling.
Several federal bills were introduced in late 2025, including to make recyclability central to product design, preempt a “patchwork” of state laws and set a standard for classification of chemical recycling.
In addition, several states are pushing forward recycling reform in 2026, showing a trend toward harmonization.
Environmental group Oceana expressed its support for the bill in a statement. “There is clear bipartisan interest in solutions to address the plastic pollution crisis,” said Christy Leavitt, senior campaign director at Oceana.
The group noted that its survey released in February 2025 indicated that 85% of US voters support increasing the use of reusable packaging and foodware.
“Reusable and refillable systems are a proven, sustainable solution to reduce single-use plastic,” Leavitt said.
