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Kansas: sustainable packaging labelling
Kansas requires a nationally recognized resin-identification code on or near the bottom of covered plastic bottles and rigid containers. Current law no longer prescribes the former chasing-arrows graphic, an important distinction for mold and artwork specifications.
Executive summary
Kansas requires material identification on defined plastic bottles and rigid plastic containers, but the current statute is more technologically neutral than many older state resin-code laws. Section 65-3425 requires a nationally recognized code indicating the resin and places it on or near the bottom. Since a 2014 amendment, the statute no longer reproduces the traditional numbered chasing-arrows design.
This change has a direct artwork consequence. Teams should not assume that the legacy recycling-arrow mold remains the legally preferred Kansas format. The current nationally recognized Resin Identification Code, such as the system maintained through ASTM D7611, distinguishes material identification from recyclability messaging. The statutory text should remain the controlling source, and the selected current standard should be documented.
Legal status at a glance
| Requirement | Status | Operational meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Covered plastic bottle | mandatory | A bottle of at least 16 fluid ounces but less than five gallons must carry the nationally recognized resin code. |
| Covered rigid plastic container | mandatory | A rigid container of at least eight ounces but less than five gallons must carry the code. |
| Chasing-arrows enclosure | not prescribed | A 2014 amendment replaced the former detailed symbol with a requirement to use a nationally recognized code. |
| Recyclability claim | claim-dependent | The composition code does not state that Kansas collection or processing systems accept the package. |
Covered bottles and containers
The law defines a plastic bottle as a container with a neck smaller than its body and a capacity of at least 16 fluid ounces but less than five gallons. A rigid plastic container has a capacity of at least eight ounces but less than five gallons and is capable of retaining its shape while empty. Distribution, sale or offer for sale in Kansas triggers the requirement.
Classification should record form, nominal capacity and resin. Flexible bags, films and packages below the thresholds do not become covered merely because a code can be printed on them. Product-specific requirements and voluntary national coding may still affect those items.
Current code format
The required mark is a molded, imprinted or raised symbol that indicates the plastic resin used to manufacture the bottle or container. It must conform to a nationally recognized code and appear on or near the bottom. The statute does not itself name a current standards edition or prescribe the exact enclosing graphic.
Before 2014, Kansas law described the familiar triangular-arrows format and numbered resin categories. The Legislature removed that detailed prescription. A current specification should therefore cite the nationally recognized coding standard used by the business, including its edition, and should avoid presenting arrows as evidence of curbside acceptance. This historical change is particularly relevant to long-lived molds and copied supplier drawings.
Who bears the obligation
The operative prohibition reaches a person who distributes, sells or offers a covered item for sale in Kansas. Responsibility can therefore extend beyond the converter that molds the container. Manufacturers, brand owners, importers, distributors and retailers should ensure that procurement specifications and incoming inspections cover the statutory mark.
The supplier should provide the material declaration and code, while the party authorising market release should confirm the package definition, capacity and current code format. A contract can assign retooling costs but does not eliminate the sales prohibition.
Enforcement and penalties
The Kansas Attorney General or a county or district attorney may provide written notice of a violation. If the conduct continues after notice, the enforcing authority may seek an injunction and a civil penalty of $50 for each violation, subject to a statutory total maximum of $500. The notice structure does not make coding optional; it describes the enforcement sequence.
Incorrect arrows or an inaccurate resin number can also create consumer-claim risk when the overall package implies recyclability. That analysis falls outside the narrow penalty provision and should be reviewed under federal and state deception law.
Practical artwork checklist
Measure the package, confirm that it retains its shape when empty, identify the predominant resin and determine whether the bottle or rigid-container threshold applies. Select and record the current nationally recognized coding standard, inspect the physical mark on or near the bottom and remove any unsupported recycling implication. Legacy molds deserve special review because their graphic may reflect the pre-2014 statute.
Primary sources and verification
Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. K.S.A. 65-3425, plastic-container resin coding. Official current statute
Kansas Secretary of State. 2014 Session Laws, amendment to section 65-3425. Official session law
Federal Trade Commission. Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, 16 C.F.R. Part 260. Official Green Guides
Federal Trade Commission. Environmental Claims: Summary of the Green Guides. Business guidance
The nationally recognized code and edition used in the package specification should be retained. Last verified: 21 August 2026.