United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA530-F-96-013
April 1996
1996 Buy-Recycled Series
Non-Paper Office Products
-PAPER OFFICE;
EcoPurchasing riieans
considering attributes
such as ;
* '• i
recycled content
toxicity
reusability)
durability i
repairability
* i
before you bfy
a product.
You know how easy it is to find
recycled-content office paper. But what
about other office necessities like trash
cans and bags, binders, desktop accessories,
recycling containers, and toner cartridges?
Office products like these made with recovered
materials are also becoming easy to find.. That's
in part because of a new procurement requirement recently
established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
called the Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG).
The CPG identifies seven categories of items, including non-
paper office products. Federal, state, or local agencies or
government contractors that use appropriated federal funds
should now purchase these products with recycled content. EPA
has conducted extensive market research on the price, quality, and
availability of products in each of the categories. This information
was used to develop the Recovered Materials Advisory Notice
(RMAN), which accompanies the CPG. The RMAN identifies
ranges of recycled content within which each designated product
can be purchased to help guide your buying decisions.
Office products are more valuable than you think, when they're
made from recovered materials. Buying them helps create a
demand for the materials we recycle all the time. For example,
plastic bottles you set out at the curb at home can be transformed
into the in/out trays on your desk or can be made into binder
covers. Buying recycled not only helps get the job done—
it helps the environment, too.
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
-------
What Is The CPG?
The CPG
requires
federal
agencies to
give
preference to
items made
from
recovered
materials.
Iecycling is growing all across
America, making it more
important than ever 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, if you
have one) to incorporate buy-recycled
requirements for designated products
by May 1, 1996. This might involve
reviewing your specifications for the
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
these 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.
-------
How Do I iPurehdse Recycled-Content Non-Paper Office Products?
To help agencies comply
with the buy-recycled
requirements, EPA also
issued its nonregulatory RMAN
recommendations 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 non-paper
office 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 buyers'
quality standards.
Recycling Containers
Plastic
Receptacles
20-100% (postconsumei)
See Patjfflfllroducts in RMAN
lastic Desktop Accessories (Polystyrene)
(includes desk organizers,
sorter^l^jfays, and memo,
I ^iotea^^gncil holders) 2
PS
/
0astic:covered ./-2
including chip,
6r pfessboard). See 'Paper Products in RMAN
?^osV3
Trash Bags (Plastic)-
Toner Cartridges2
•10-100% (postconsumei)
•See footnote
1 EPA's recommendations do not preclude procuring agencies from purchasing non-paper office products
manufactured using other materials, such as wood or cloth. EPA simply recommends that procuring
agencies, when purchasing non-paper office products designated in the procurement guidelines, purchase
these products containing recovered materials.
2 EPA recommends having used toner cartridges remanufactured and returned for reuse, or purchasing a
remanufactured or recycled-content replacement cartridge.
recommends
f~~
Recycled
t ranges
Iat reflect
:tual market
conditions.
-------
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.
•!• Non-Paper Office Products Containing Recovered
Materials (EPA530-B-95-002), June 1995. Lists
manufacturers and suppliers of non-paper office products
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.
J These documents also are available on EPA's Public
Access Server on the Internet (gopher.epa.gov). For the text
of Federal Register notices, choose: Rules, Regulations, and
feglsfatlon; Waste Programs; EPA Waste 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 Emergency Response; Office of Solid Waste;
^Unhazardous Waste; and Procurement.
Other Sources of Information
* Greening the Government: A Guide to
Implementing E.0.12873. 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.
Unlcor. Provides remanufactured toner cartridges. Contact
Federal Prison Industry, Customer Service Center, P.O. Box
13640, Lexington, KY 40583-3640. Phone: 800 827-3168.
Fax: 606 254-9692.
Resource Guide to Business Products Manufacturers'
Recycling Products and Program. Provides information on
how to purchase recycled-content office products. The guide
costs $20 for members and $40 for non-members. To obtain a
copy, contact the Business Products Industry Association
(BPIA), 301 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria VA 22314.
Phone: 800 542-6672 or 703 549-9040.
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, estimated number of units purchased, unit of
measurement, unit price, and type of procurement. For more
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.
U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSA
publishes various supply catalogs, guides, and schedules for
recycled-content products available through the Federal
Supply Service. For copies of the following documents and
other information, 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.
•> Recycling Collection Containers and Specialty
Waste Receptacles, Federal Supply Schedule
Group 72, Part 7, Schedule B. Lists a variety of
containers and receptacles available for purchase.
* New Item Introductory Schedule (NIIS). Lists plastic
desktop accessories that contain recovered materials.
<• 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.
In addition, GSA makes a limited number of toner
cartridges available through its stock program and most
Customer Supply Centers. For technical information,
contact Jeanne E. Deck, Director, Customer Vendor
Relations, at 703 305-3376 or 703 305-7135 (fax); or
Kimberly Ricci, Customer Vendor Relations, at 703 305-
6281 or 703 305-7135 (fax). GSA plans to have binders
and plastic trash bags that meet EPA recommendations
available by May 1 996. For further information contact
John Marrone, Engineering Branch, at 212 264-3578.
* The Official Recycled Products Guide. This directory lists
more than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors of recycled
products. For more information, contact the Recycling Data
Management Corp., P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY 13669.
Phone: 800 267-0707.
* Purchasing Recycled Plastic Products. Provides
information on various recycled-content plastic products. To
obtain a copy contact American Plastics Council, 1 275 K
Street, NW., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005. Phone: 800
2-HELP-90.
* 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.
* 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-
and category-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.
------- |