United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA530-F-97-032
November 1997
http://www.epa.gov
1
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997 Buy-Recycled Series
Park and Recreation Products
K& RECREATION
Want to go the extra mile for your
community? Buying recycled-
content running tracks and other
recreational products is cost-effective, easy to
do, and a good way to keep our outdoors green.
The same goes for your community's beaches.
You can protect your sand dunes using plastic
fencing made from recovered plastics, an easy
and long-lasting solution for your shoreline.
To make it easier to buy recycled for your park and recreation
needs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updates
the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) each year.
Through the CPG, EPA designates items that must contain
recycled content when purchased by federal, state, and local
agencies or by government contractors using appropriated federal
funds. Among these items, EPA has designated several park and
recreation products. EPA's research shows that the items
designated in the CPG are of high quality, widely available, and
cost-competitive with virgin products. EPA also issues a non-
regulatory companion piece—the Recovered Materials Advisory
Notice (RMAN)—that recommends levels of recycled-content for
these items. :
If you specify or purchase park and recreation products, buying
recycled can turn the materials we collect for recycling into
budget-friendly products. And buying recycled isn't just good
news for our parks and recreational areas—it also strengthens the
economy by creating jobs and supporting your local recycling
businesses. :
) Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
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What Is ThS DEO?
The CPG
requires
federal
agencies to
buy items
made from
recovered
materials.
Recycling is more than just
dropping off your cans, bottles,
and newspapers at the curb or
at a local collection facility. Diverting
recyclables from the waste stream is
only the first step in the recycling
process. The second step occurs when
companies use these recyclables to
manufacture new products. The third
step comes when you purchase
products made from recovered
materials. That's how we close the
loop.
To encourage the purchase of
recycled products, the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
requires agencies to buy recycled
products. President Clinton signed
Executive Order 12873 in October 1993,
which called for an increase in the
federal government's use of recycled-
content products. Developed in
response to these directives, the CPG
requires federal agencies to give
preference to EPA-designated items
made with recovered materials. This, in
turn, supports recycling markets and
allows recycling to continue to expand.
Issued in May 1995, the first CPG
designated 19 new products', including
playground surfaces and running
tracks. Procuring agencies are required
to purchase these items with recycled
content. (A procuring agency is any
federal, state, or local agency or
government contractor that uses
appropriated federal funds to purchase
products.) A CPG update (CPG II) was
published in November 1997, and
designated an additional 12 products,
including plastic fencing.
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.
By May 1,1996, your agency was
required to develop an affirmative
procurement program (or modify its
existing program) to incorporate buy-
recycled requirements for playground
surfaces and running tracks. It is not too
late to develop your affirmative
procurement program if you have not
already done so. This effort might
involve reviewing your specifications for
these products and eliminating
provisions that pose barriers to procuring
them with recycled content (such as
aesthetic requirements unrelated to
product performance). Your agency also
must revise its affirmative procurement
program to add the newly designated
item—plastic fencing—by November
13,1998.
The CPG acknowledges, however, that
specific circumstances might arise that
preclude the purchase of products made
with recovered materials. You may
purchase designated items that do not
contain recovered materials if you
determine that: (1) the price of a given
designated item made with recovered
materials is unreasonably high, (2) there
is inadequate competition (not enough
sources of supply), (3) unusual and
unreasonable delays would result from
obtaining the item, or (4) it does not meet
your agency's reasonable performance
specifications.
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Greening the Government: A Guide to
Implementing Executive Order 12873. This guide
provides detailed information on establishing and
implementing federal affirmative procurement plans.
Updated in the summer of 1997, 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. Homepage: http://www.ofee.gov.
Official Recycled Products Guide. This directory lists
more than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors of
recycled-content products, including athletic surfaces
and plastic fencing. For more information, contact the
Recycling Data Management Corporation, P.O. Box
577, Ogdensburg, NY 13669. Phone: 800 267-0707.
Fax:315471-3258.
Recycled Plastic Products Source Book. This
booklet lists more than 1,300 plastic products from
approximately 300 manufacturers, including plastic
fencing. For more information, call the American
Plastics Council (APC), 1801 K Street, NW., Suite
7010, Washington, DC 20006. Phone: 202 974-5400.
Fax: 202 296-7119. Visit the APC homepage at
http://www.plasticsresource.com.
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.
Internet Sites
* California Recycled-Content Product
Database: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/mrt
/rcp/rcp.htm. This site contains information
on why to buy recycled-content products,
how to procure them, and provides access
to a database with information on products,
as well as manufacturers, distributors, reprocessors,
mills, and converters across the country who procure or
produce these products.
* King County Recycled Product Procurement
Program: http://www.metrokc.gov/oppis/recyclea.html.
This site describes the tools and techniques developed
by King County, Washington, agencies for purchasing
recycled products.
* The Procurement Assistance Jumpstation:
http://www.fedmarket.com/procinet.html. This site
contains links to many sites containing procurement
information.
+J» Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—Through Procurement:
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure.htm.
This site describes EPA's effort to facilitate the
procurement of products containing recovered
materials, including information on CPG, RMANs, and
the Buy Recycled Series.
In addition, contact your state solid waste
management agency for information about local
and regional businesses that produce or
distribute recycled-content products.
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How Can I Get More Informatioii?
Information Available
From EPA
This fact sheet and the following publications
on buying recycled products are available in
electronic format on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/
epaoswer/non-hw/procure.htm. Use Internet e-mail to
order paper copies of documents. Include the requestor's
name and mailing address on all orders. Address e-mail
to: rcra-docket@epamail.epa.gov. Text of the following
Federal Register notices can be found at
http:HWWW.epa.gov/fedrgstr/search.htm. Search by
specific day, by keywords, or by accessing the
Government Printing Office database.
Paper copies also may be ordered by calling the RCRA
Hotline, Callers within the Washington Metropolitan Area
must dial 703 412-9810 or TDD 703 412-3323 (hearing
impaired). Long-distance callers may call 800 424-9346 or
TDD 800 553-7672. The RCRA Hotline operates
weekdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., EST.
<• EPA Issues Comprehensive Procurement Guideline
(EPA 530-F-95-010). This 4-page factsheet provides
general information about the CPG and the
development of affirmative procurement programs.
& Federal Register (FR) notices promulgating CPG I (60
FR 21370/EPA530-Z-95-006) and RMAN I (60 FR
21386/EPA530-Z-95-007), May 1, 1995. Federal
Register notices promulgating CPG II (62 FR
60961/EPA530-Z-97-009) and RMAN II (62 FR
60975/EPA530-Z-97-010), November 13, 1997.
4- Park and Recreation Products Containing
Recovered Materials (EPA530-B-97-006). This list
identifies manufacturers and suppliers of playground
surfaces, running tracks, and plastic fencing containing
recovered materials. (Each listing is based on
information provided by the manufacturer and does not
constitute an endorsement by EPA.)
<*• A Study of State and Local Government Procurement
Practices that Consider Environmental Performance
of Goods and Services (EPA742-R-96-007). This report
provides Important program elements and case studies
of state and county agencies purchasing environmentally
preferable products and services. For a copy of the
report or more information on EPA's Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program, contact the
Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at 401 M
Street, SW. (7409), Washington, DC 20460. Phone: 202
260-1023. Fax: 202 260-4659. Visit the EPP homepage
at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/p2home.
Other Sources
of Information
* Buy Recycled Business Alliance. The
Alliance includes over 3,200 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 free of
charge. For more information, contact Bonnie
Fedchock, National Recycling Coalition, 1727 King
Street, Suite 105, Alexandria, VA 22314-2720. Phone:
703 683-9025, Ext. 209. Fax: 703 683-9026.
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
Hernphill Street, P.O. Box 6477, Fort Worth, TX 76115-
9939. Phone: 817 334-5215. Fax: 817 334-5227. You
can also access GSA Advantage!, GSA's Internet-based
online ordering system, to order any GSA product at
https://www.fss.gsa.gov/cgi-bins/advwel.
—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 Internet-based Database of
Recycled Commodities (DRC) includes information
from states on their recycled product procurement.
Data include product distributors, manufacturers, brand
names, recycled and postconsurner content, "Energy
Star" rating, units purchased, unit of measurement, unit
price, and type of procurement. Visit the site at
http://fcn.state.fi.us/bpsr/drc_notice.html.
For more information, contact George C. Banks, DRC
Coordinator, Florida Department of Management
Services, 4050 Esplanade Way, Suite 335, Tallahassee,
FL 32399-0950. Phone: 850 921-7852.
Fax: 850 921-5979. E-mail: banksg@dms.mail.ufl.edu.
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•.V. -
Jo help agencies comply
with the buy-recycled
requirements, EPA also
issues guidance in RMANs,
which are designed to make it as
easy as possible to buy the
designated items. The RMANs
recommend recycled-content
levels to look for when
purchasing park and recreation
products, as shown in the table
below. Following the RMANs'
recommended levels will help
ensure that your affirmative
procurement program and
standards meet the buy-recycled
requirements.
Rather than specifying just
one level of recycled content, the
RMANs recommend ranges that
reflect actual market conditions.
The recommendations are based
on market research identifying
recycled-content products that
are commercially available, are
competitively priced, and meet
buyers' quality standards.
Refer to EPA's Park and
Recreation Products Containing
Recovered Materials for sources
of the designated items.
1 Federal agency installations of these
products must comply with applicable state
or local construction codes, as well as
standards set by the Consumer Safety
Commission and the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
2 Content levels are based on dry weight of
the raw materials, exclusive of any
additives such as adhesives, binders, or
coloring agents.
3 Designation includes fencing containing
recovered plastic for use in controlling
snow or sand drifting and as a
warning/safety barrier in construction or
other applications.
In March, 1993, President
Clinton seized the concept of
recycling and ran with it by
installing a 5-foot-wide, nearly
quarter-mile running track
encircling the South Lawn of
the White House. The running
track was resurfaced with 13
tons (about 13,000 tires) of
material made from recycled
scrap tires, with material and
labor donated to the White
House. Users report that!the
track provides a much improved
running surface that is safer,
attractive, and requires little
maintenance. For more !
information, contact the Office
of the Federal Environmental
Executive at 202 260-1297.
The city of West Palm Beach,
Florida, realizes that children
and the environment are its two
most important resources. With
this in mind, since 1995, the
city has been purchasing a
loose-fill rubber playground
surface made from recycled
scrap tires. They have been
extremely satisfied with its
performance, finding it clean,
durable, and cost-effective. The
softer material creates an air
cushion that absorbs impact,
which reduces the risk of
injuries. Due to its resilience
and low maintenance
requirements, the city predicts
that it won't have to be replaced
as often as mulch or sand. In
fact, the durability of the
material was tested recently
when a hurricane hit the area,
bringing torrential rains and 125
mile-per-hour winds. Despite
these extreme conditions, the
surface suffered no damage. For
more information, contact
Robert Mitch of the city of West
Palm Beach at 561 659-8044.
Playground Surfaces:
—Plastic or Rubber
Running Tracks:
—Plastic or Rubber
90 -100% (postconsumer)
90 -100% (postconsumer)
Plastic Fencing for
Specified Uses3
60 -100% (postconsumer)/
90 - 100% (total)
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW. (5306W)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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