EPA530-N-94-003b
M-vSt
Comprehensive Procurement
Guideline Proposed
Soon, federal and many other government
agencies will be adding a wide variety of
products containing recovered materi-
als to their shopping lists. On April 20,1994,
EPA proposed a Comprehensive Procurement
Guideline (CPG) that "designates" 21 products,
from plastic trash bags to engine coolant for
government purchase.
The underlying impetus behind the CPG is
the need to stimulate markets for materials
collected through recycling programs. Presi-
dent Clinton reiterated this need when he
signed Executive Order 12873 on October 20,
1993. In issuing the CPG, EPA will have met
one of its major responsibilities under that
Executive Order, as well under Section 6002 of
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA), the law that authorizes and directs
EPA to issue procurement guidelines.
Prior to the President's Executive Order, EPA
had issued five procurement guidelines cover-
ing paper and paper products, re-refined
lubricating oils, retread tires, building insula-
tion products, and cement and concrete
containing coal fly ash. In addition to designat-
ing new items, the CPG incorporates and
reorganizes the five existing procurement
guidelines.
Under RCRA, all government agencies,
along with their contractors and grantees,
that purchase designated items ("procuring
agencies") are required to establish a prefer-
ence for buying the items with recovered
material content, if they spend more than
$10,000 a year on an item using appropriated
federal funds. To do so, they must develop or
revise their existing "affirmative procurement
program." The program must include at least
the following four components:
as Recovered materials preference program.
Procuring agencies must establish a system
for buying designated items containing re-
covered materials. They can do this by using
one of three alternative approaches pro-
vided in RCRA.
IB Promotion program. Procuring agencies
must actively promote their preference for
products made from recovered materials.
For example, they can publish articles in
newsletters both inside and outside of their
agencies, hold employee training work-
shops, participate in trade fairs, and include
statements in bid solicitations.
IH Estimation, certification, and verification
program. Agencies must establish proce-
dures for collecting estimates and certifica-
tions from vendors, and for verifying
information about the recovered material
content of the products they buy.
IB Monitoring. Agencies must monitor their
progress in buying products made from re-
covered materials and report on their pur-
chases of designated items.
In addition, procuring agencies must review
their purchasing specifications for designated
items to incorporate requirements for recov-
ered material content, and to remove language
that might hinder the purchase of these items.
For example, if a specification requires that
only virgin plastic resins be used in plastic
trash cans, that requirement must be changed
to allow for the use of recovered plastic, since
such trash cans are now available.
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Only the following conditions can exempt
procuring agencies from these procurement re-
quirements:
« If an item containing recovered material is
only available at an unreasonable price.
« If there is inadequate competition (not
enough sources of supply).
• If there would be an unusual and unreason-
able delay in obtaining an item.
• If the item does not meet all reasonable
performance requirements.
At the same time that EPA proposed the CPG,
it published a draft Recovered Material Ad\d-
sory Notice (RMAN). The RMAN lists the
ranges of recovered material content within
which designated items are commercially
available. It also suggests purchasing practices
to help government agencies buy these prod-
ucts.
To obtain more information or a copy of the
Federal Register notices for the CPG or the
RMAN, call the RCRA Hotline at 800-424-
9346.1
Items Designated in the Proposed Comprehensive
Procurement Guideline
Vehicular
Engine Coolant
Structural Fiberboard
Laminated Paperboard
Plastic Pipe and Fittings
Geotextiles
Carpet
Floor Tiles
Patio Blocks
Cement Containing Blast Furnace Slag
Traffic Control Cones
Traffic Barriers
ft
Playground Surfaces
Running Tracks
Hydraulic Mutch
Yard Trimmings
Office Recycling Containers
Waste Receptacles
Plastic Desktop Accessories
Remanufactured Toner Cartridges
Binders
Plastic Trash Bags
*The CPG also proposed amendments to the existing procurement guideline tor building insulation.
For a free subscription to Reusable News, write to-
Office of Solid Waste
US EPA (5305)
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
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