United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA530-F-96-012
April 1996
1996 Buy-Recycled Series
Park and Recreation Products
EcoPurchasing nieans
considering attributes
such as i
- , -'*.-' i _
recycled content
toxicity j
reusability1
durability:
repairability" -
* " •"• ; - -
before you buy
a product, i
S1ECREATI6N:
ids are playing on them, parents are
using them to get fit—even President
Clinton is jogging on one at the White
House. They're running tracks and playground
surfaces made from old tires and recovered
plastic. More and more universities, schools
and day care centers, military bases, and
government agencies are buying these recycled-
content products because they are readily available and meet
performance standards.
To make it easier to buy recycled, the! U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has developed fhe Comprehensive
I
Procurement Guideline (CPG). The CPG identifies seven categories
of items, including park and recreation products. Federal, state, or
local agencies or government contractors that use appropriated
federal funds should now purchase these products with recycled
content. And to help you do this, EPA issued a nonregulatory
companion piece called the Recovered Materials Advisory Notice
(RMAN). The RMAN recommends recycled-content levels,
expressed as ranges, that you can use when making purchasing
decisions. EPA also compiled product lists covering the seven
product categories, including park and recreation products (see
the back page of this fact sheet).
Buying recycled-content park and recreation products is as
easy as taking a walk in the park. And w,hen you buy recycled,
you're also helping to support recycling businesses and protecting
the environment.
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent pbstconsumer fiber.
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What Is The CPG?
The CPG
requires
federal
agencies to
give
preference to
items made
,„ fiic \ '|,|
from
recovered
materials.
s recycling continues to grow,
it is more important than
lever to find buyers for these
collected materials. That's why
President Clinton signed Executive
Order 12873 in October 1993, calling
for an increase in the federal
government's use of recycled-content
products. Developed in response to the
Executive Order, the CPG requires that
federal agencies give preference to
items made from recovered materials—
which in turn will help support
recycling markets and allow recycling
to continue to expand.
Issued in May 1995, the CPG
designates 19 new products (and
incorporates five previously
designated items) in seven product
categories that procuring agencies are
required to begin purchasing with
recycled content. (A procuring agency
is any federal, state or local agency or
government contractor that uses
appropriated federal funds to purchase
products.) If your agency spends more
than $10,000 per year on a product
designated in the CPG, you are
required to purchase it with the
highest recycled-content level
practicable. The CPG also applies to
lease contracts covering designated
items.
Your agency must develop an
affirmative procurement program (or
modify its existing program) to
incorporate buy-recycled requirements
for designated products by May 1,
1996. This might involve reviewing
your specifications for the various
products and eliminating provisions
that might pose a barrier to their
procurement (such as aesthetic
requirements unrelated to product
performance). As soon as the program
is in place, your agency should begin
following the guidelines for
purchasing designated products
whenever practicable.
The CPG acknowledges, however,
that specific circumstances might arise
that could preclude the purchase of
products made with recovered
materials. Under the CPG, you may
choose to purchase designated items
that do not contain recovered materials
if you determine that 1) the price of a
given item made with recovered
materials is unreasonable; 2) there is
inadequate competition (not enough
sources of supply) for the item; 3)
unusual and unreasonable delays
would result from obtaining the item;
or 4) the item does not meet your
agency's reasonable performance
specifications.
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How Do I Purqhaise Recycled^ontent Parkm Recreation Products?
I o help agencies comply with
the buy-recycled require-
ments, EPA also issued its
nonregulatory RMAN recom-
mendations designed to make it as
easy as possible to comply with the
CPG. The RMAN recommends
recycled-content levels to look for
when purchasing the park and
recreation products shown in the
chart below. Following the RMAN's
recommended levels will help ensure
that your purchases meet the CPG
requirements.
Rather than just one level of
recycled content, the RMAN
recommends ranges that reflect
actual market conditions. The
recommendations are based on
extensive market research to identify
recycled-content products that are
commercially available, priced
competitively, and meet buyescs'
quality standards.
leRMAN
recommends
rcled
content ranges
that reflect
ictual market
Ssnditions.
PlaygroundSurfaces
Elastic or Rubber..•••^•i-,^^^• • ."^Or^00%i(^o^tcpiis'umei)
Running Tracks
Plastic or
1 Federal agency installations of these products must comply with applicable state or local construction
codes, as well as standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
2 Content levels are based on the dry weight of the raw materials, exclusive of any additives such as
adhesives, binders, or coloring agents.
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How Can I Get More Information?
Information Available from EPA
The following publications on buying recycled
and the CPG are available through the RCRA
Hotline. To order, call 800 424-9346 (or 800 553-
7672 for the hearing impaired). In Washington, DC, the
number is 703 412-9810 or TDD 703 412-3323. The RCRA
Hotline is open from Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. EST.
* Federal Register notices establishing the CPG (60 FR
21370/EPA530-Z-95-006) and the RMAN (60 FR
21386/EPA530-Z-95-007), May 1, 1995.
* Parks and Recreation Products Containing
Recovered Materials (EPA530-B-95-007), June 1995.
Lists manufacturers and suppliers of playground
surfaces and running tracks containing recovered
materials. (Each listing is based on information
provided by the manufacturer and does not constitute
an endorsement by EPA.)
* EPA Issues Comprehensive Procurement Guideline
(EPA 530-F-95-010).This four-page fact sheet provides
general information about the CPG and the
development of affirmative procurement programs.
These documents also are available on EPA's Public
ss Server on the Internet (gopher.epa.gov). For the
of Federal Register notices, choose: Rules,
\egutations, and Legislation; Waste Programs; EPA
faste Information-GPO; and Year/Month/Date. This
fact sheet, the technical support documents, and the
product availability lists are available under EPA
Offices and Regions; Office of Solid Waste and
|mergency Response; Office of Solid Waste;
Jtonhazardous Waste; and Procurement.
Other Sources of Information
* Greening the Government: A Guide to
Implementing E.p. 12873. This guide
provides detailed information on establishing
and implementing affirmative procurement
plans. It is available without charge from the Office of
the Federal Environmental Executive, 401 M Street,
SW. (Mail Code 1600), Washington, DC 20460. Phone:
202 260-1297. Fax: 202 401-9503.
<> Recycled Rubber Products Catalog. This catalog lists
products manufactured from recovered rubber and
provides information on how to obtain them. For more
information, contact the Scrap Tire Management
Council, 1400 K Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington,
DC 20005. Phone: 202 682-4880. Fax: 202 682-4854.
•:» The Official Recycled Products Guide. This directory
lists more than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors
of recycled-content products. For more information,
contact the Recycling Data Management Corp.,
P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY 13669. Phone:
800 267-0707.
* U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSA
publishes various supply catalogs, guides, and
schedules for products available through the Federal
Supply Service. For copies of the following two
documents and other publications, contact GSA,
Centralized Mailing List Service (7CAFL), 4900
Hemphill St., P.O. Box 6477, Ft. Worth, TX 76115.
Phone: 817 334-5215. Fax: 817 334-5227.
* Park and Outdoor Recreational Equipment,
Federal Supply Schedule Group 78, Part 1,
Schedule C, Classes 7830. Lists a variety of park
and recreation products available for purchase.
* Environmental Products Guide. This guide is
designed to help procurement officials identify
environmentally preferable products and services. It
contains nearly 3,000 items, including many
recycled-content products*
* National Association of State Purchasing Officials
(NASPO). NASPO's Windows-based Database of
Recycled Commodities (DRC) includes information
from states on their recycled product procurements.
Data includes product distributors, manufacturers,
recycled and postconsumer content, and other
information. Contact: Linda Carroll, NASPO, 167 West
Main Street, Suite 600, Lexington, KY 40507. Phone:
606 259-0959 or 606 254-7979. Fax: 606 231-0262.
* National Institute of Governmental Purchasing
(NIGP). NIGP maintains a library of product
specifications and sample bid documents for both
virgin- and recycled-content products. It also offers
procurement training workshops for members. For more
information, contact: Fuad Abu-Taleb, 11800 Sunrise
Valley Drive, Reston, VA 22091. Phone: 703 715-9400 x
41. Fax: 703 715-9897.
* National Association of Counties (NACo). NACo can
provide sample county procurement ordinances and
distributes buy-recycled information. For more
information, contact: Naomi Friedman, Research
Associate for Recycling, 440 First Street, NW., .
Washington, DC 20001. Phone: 202 942-4262. Fax:
202-737-0480 or 393-2630.
* Buy Recycled Business Alliance. The Alliance
includes over 1,500 companies and organizations
committed to increasing their use of recycled-content
products and materials in their day-to-day operations.
The Alliance offers educational materials, a quarterly
newsletter, and product-specific guides. Public
purchasing entities can join for free. For more
information, contact: Phil Bailey, Director of Market
Development, National Recycling Coalition, 1727 King
Street, Suite 105, Alexandria, VA 22314-2720. Phone:
703 683-9025. Fax: 703 683-9026.
* * *
In addition, contact your state solid waste agency for
information about local and regional businesses that
produce or distribute recycled-content products.
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