United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA530-F-97-036
November 1997
http://www. epa.gov
1997 Buy-Recycled Series
Transportation Products
"' !*'l'
he road is clear for buying recycled
products, and many agencies are
moving into high gear!
Transportation officials around the country
are reporting that recycled safety cones, traf-
fic barricades, traffic control devices, and
parking stops deliver high performance and
cut installation and maintenance costs, allowing these professionals
to focus on the issue they value most—traffic safety.
To help you buy recycled, 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. Several transportation products are among these items. 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.
So whether you're working on a major highway or repairing a
small local road, there's one way to ensure a smooth ride—buy recy-
cled! When you buy recycled, you're doing more than supplying the
road crew's needs; you're also helping to support recycling business-
es and protect the environment.
> Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
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"I
How Do I Purchase Recycled-Content Transportation Prpd^^Is iSPllllllllli
Channelizers: Channelizers are barrels or drums that direct traffic
around areas of road repair and construction. Street maintenance
agencies and construction contractors use channelizers on con-
struction sites, medians, on/off-ramps, mountainous terrain, and
areas where fog and haze are common. Channelizers are designed
and colored to be highly visible and can be constructed from
recovered HDPE and rubber. The bases of the drums are weighted
to provide stability and are often made from used tires.
« Delineators: Delineators are temporary pavement mark-
era that come in many shapes, sizes, and compositions.
They are manufactured primarily from recovered and
poslconsumer HDPE. Delineator bases are either steel
stakes that can be driven into the ground or rubber to
support the delineator on the road surface.
* Flexible Delineators: These products come in the form of stakes and are driven
into the ground. The product is flexible enough so that vehicles can strike them
without causing damage to the vehicle or the delineator. They are used at golf
courses, airports, military bases, shopping centers, and recreation areas.
* Parking Stops: Commonly found in parking lots, parking stops are used
to mark parking spaces and keep vehicles from rolling
beyond a designated parking area.
* Traffic Barricades: Traffic barricades can be used to redirect or restrict traffic in
areas of highway construction or repair. They are typically made from wood,
Steel, plastic or a combination of tiiese materials. Many manufacturers have
switched to the use of recycled materials in both the supporting frame and rails
of the barricades.
llraffic Cones: Traffic cones may be used to mark a road hazard or to direct traffic. In gen-
eral, both recovered- and postconsumer-content plastics are used in the upper component
of tho cones, and crumb rubber and/or plastics are used in the base.
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The states of Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts,
Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and
Wisconsin are combining their resources to buy recy-
cled-content traffic cones. Since 1993, they have
bought approximately 50,000 cones per year, mostly
for highway construction along roads and tunnels, as
well as for use at airports. In addition, many cities,
counties, and universities across the United States
purchase these recycled-content traffic control
devices. For more information contact Ron
Wachenheim of the New York Office of General
Services at 518 474-1557.
J
In 1994, the Kentucky Department of Highways pur-
chased a sample supply of flexible delineators made
from recovered plastic. Based on their successful per-
formance, the department has purchased more than
3,000 flexible delineator posts made from recovered
plastic for a number of projects along Kentucky's inter-
state highways. A project on interstate highway 65, for
example, used flexible delineator posts every 500 feet
along a 50 mile stretch. According to department offi-
cials , the durability of recycled plastic flexible delin-
eators has reduced replacement and maintenance costs.
The delineators also have increased traffic
safety, because they bend on impact, reducing the
chance of damage to vehicles or injury to their occu-
pants. For more information, contact Janet Coffee of the
Kentucky Department of Highways at 502 564-4556.
A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Mail Transport
Equipment Warehouse in Henderson, Colorado,
Installed six recovered plastic parking stops in 1996.
While the USPS had no specifications requiring the
use of recovered materials in this product at the time,
-employees were encouraged to buy recycled products
through procurement training and printed promotion-
al materials. The facility has experienced no perfor-
mance problems with the 100 percent postconsumer
plastic parking stops, which wera purchased from a
local manufacturer. USPS found maintenance and
installation costs to be lower than those for convention-
al concrete stops because of the product's durability
and light weight, as well as the fact that it came with
mounting hardware. The facility received the White
House Closing the Circle Award for its success with
waste prevention, recycling, and affirmative procure-
ment of recovered-content products. For more informa-
tion, contact Elaine May of USPS at 303 289-7196.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has
used recycled products in highway operations for the
last several years. Based on their experience and field
evaluations, TxDOT is revising their procurement
standards to encourage expanded use of recovered-
content traffic control devices. Currently, TxDOT is
using recycled-content channelizers in highway pro-
jects across the state. The channelizers' light weight
and flexibility boosts highway and work zone safety,
since less damage is caused when vehicles strike
them. The strength of the channelizers also allows for
long-term use and cost savings—not to mention new
uses for discarded milk jugs and scrap tires. For more
information, contact Greg Brinkmeyer of the TxDOT at
512 416-3120 or Dan Maupin at 512 416-3128.
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How Can I Get More Information?
Information Available
From EPA
This fact sheet and the following publica-
tions 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://www.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 (EPA530-F-95-010). This 4-page fact sheet
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.
* Transportation Products Containing Recovered
Materials (EPA530-B-97-013). This list identifies
manufacturers and suppliers of traffic cones, barri-
cades, parking stops, and other traffic control devices
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 com-
panies 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 enti-
ties can join for free. 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 pub-
lishes 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 Street, P.O. Box 6477, Fort Worth, TX
76115. 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.
— Environmental Products Guide. This GSA guide
is designed to help procurement officials identify
environmentally preferable products and services.
It contains nearly 3,000 items, including many
recycled-content products.
— New Item Introductory Schedule. Lists parking
stops that contain recovered rubber materials.
<» Greening the Government: A Guide to
Implementing E.O. 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.
* 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 202 393-2630.
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* 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 postconsumer content, "Energy
Star" rating, units purchased, unit of measurement, unit
price, and type of procurement. Visit the site at
http://fcn.state.fl.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.
<» Official Recycled Products Guide. This directory lists
more than 5,000. manufacturers and distributors of recy-
cled-content products, including those for traffic cones,
traffic barricades, traffic control devices, and parking
stops. For more information, contact the Recycling Data
Management Corporation, P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg,
NY 13669. Phone: 800 267-0707. Fax: 315 471-3258.
* Recycled Plastic Products Source Book. This booklet
lists more than 1,300 plastic products from approximate-
ly 300 manufacturers, including parking stops and traffic
control devices. 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.
Internet Sites
* ASTM Website:
http ://www.astm .org/prodserv. htm I. Th is
site provides links to the American
Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
standards, the products and services
offered by ASTM, and other news and information.
* 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.
•* Reduce, Reuse, Recycle-Through Procurement:
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure.htm.
This site describes EPA's effort to facilitate the procure-
ment of products containing recovered materials, includ-
ing 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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&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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