&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305)
EPA530-N-95-003
Spring 1995
REUSABLE
NEWS
Recycled
Paper
Revisited
EPA has published a draft
Paper Products Recovered
Materials Advisory Notice
(RMAN) in the Federal Register
[60 FR 14182, March 15, 1995]
concerning recycled paper.
When final, the RMAN will
update EPAs 1988 Procurement
Guideline for Paper and Paper
Products Containing Recovered
(Continued on page 10)
The Results Are In!
In our Winter issue we announced a
contest to revamp our masthead. Pre-
sented with four variations of trash
cans, 88 readers voiced their votes. Sev-
enty percent of the votes were paperless!
The Ol' Standby (fe atured on the
newsletter since its inception) was th<
official winner.
We were pleasantly surprised, how-
ever, to receive many other great ideas
about what to do with our masthead.
Many of these ideas focus on recycling
and waste prevention. We decided,
therefore, to keep the contest open by
requesting additional ideas for the
masthead, or even original artwork.
(Call 202 260-6548; send email to
Leigh.John@EPAMAILEPA.GOV; or write
to the address on the back cover.)
This issue's masthead is compliments
of reader Tim Schlender from Olympia,
Washington, and features his cat, Stevie.
Let the Green Games Begin!
Spectators at the 1996 Summer
Olympic Games in Atlanta
could find themselves using
readily available recycling bins and
pumping ketchup out of bulk dis-
pensers instead of squeezing it
from individual packets. With the
help of EPA, the Atlanta Committee
for the Olympic Games is exploring
numerous ways to incorporate
waste prevention and recycling
into every aspect of the 100th
Olympiad.
The sheer size of the Olympics—
drawing millions of athletes and
visitors from around the globe—
creates enormous opportunities for
waste reduction. The eight major
(Continued on page 5)
McDonald's "Buy Recycled
Campaign Tops $1 Billion
The McDonald's Corporation
recently announced the pur-
chase of its billionth dollar
worth of products made from recy-
cled materials. The company, which
began its buy-recycled campaign in
1990, now spends more than $300
million a year on recycled products.
In 1994 alone, the company pur-
chased 220,000 tons of packaging
made from recycled materials.
(Continued on page 2)
~)Recycled/Recyclable Printed on paper that contains at least 20% postconsumer fiber.
-------
McDonald's "Buy Recycled" Campaign Tops $1 Billion (continued from Pagei)
Waste
EartV, Eff«rt~
In just three years, McDonald's has implemented nearly 100 ini-
tiatives to prevent waste, recycle, and buy recycled in its 9,400
restaurants across the United States. Together, these initiatives
have eliminated 7,500 tons of packaging annually.
The main thrust of McDonald's "Earth Effort" initiative is prevent-
ing waste in the first place—by making materials substitutions,
design alterations, and changes in buying practices. Over the past
year, McDonald's has saved $5 million by reducing waste in the fol-
lowing ways:
• Reducing the raised designs on napkins. This simple action enables
23 percent more napkins to fit into a shipping container, saving
294,000 pounds of corrugated and 150 truckload shipments.
• Redesigning shake and sundae shipment boxes to achieve a
4-percent reduction in corrugated (450,000 pounds).
• Decreasing the thickness of trash can liners to reduce plastic waste
by 2.1 million pounds.
• Converting hash brown containers from paperboard cartons to
paper bags to save 2.9 million pounds of packaging.
• Redesigning french fry cartons to reduce the weight of paperboard
packaging by 13 percent.
McDonald's is also contributing to toxics reduction by printing some
of its packaging with soy-based inks, as well as using unbleached
carryout bags and containers for some of its burgers.
In Europe, McDonald's restaurants are experimenting with a new
form of waste prevention—edible dishware. An ice cream container and
lid made from cookie dough have been developed by McDonald's of
Germany to replace a plastic container. McDonald's of Austria is
using breakfast plates made from a maize base. The plates, which
were tested during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Nor-
way, are fed to livestock after use. I
McDonald's uses recycled prod-
ucts in the construction and oper-
ation of all its U.S. restaurants.
For example, plastic jugs for
water, milk, and juice are made
into McDonald's food trays; old
car parts become steel frame
restaurant chairs; and recycled
tires end up as surfaces on the
company's "Playland" play-
grounds. Used consumer goods
(such as newspapers and maga-
zines) get a second life as carry-
out bags, packaging, and napkins.
In addition to purchasing
recycled products, McDonald's
recently joined "Buy Recycled and
Save." This initiative is the latest
in a series of nationwide, educa-
tional recycling campaigns con-
ceived by the Environmental
Defense Fund (EOF) and the
Advertising Council, and sup-
ported by EPA. In past years, the
campaign focused on encouraging
Americans to collect materials for
recycling. To address the increas-
ing need to build markets for recy-
clable materials, this year's
campaign highlights the impor-
tance of buying recycled.
For its part, McDonald's will
help spread the "buy-recycled"
message on recycled paper soft
drink cups, carryout bags, and
trayliners. The trayliners teach
consumers about products that
typically contain recycled materi-
als, such as cardboard egg cartons
and aluminum beverage cans.
They also instruct individuals in
reading product labels to deter-
mine the postconsumer content of
products such as cereal boxes and
shampoo bottles.
For a free copy of an educational
brochure on buying recycled, write
to McDonald's, Department of
Environmental Affairs, Kroc Drive,
Oak Brook, IL, 60521. For more
information on McDonald's Buy
Recycled campaign, call Becky
Caruso at 708 575-3678.
-------
Reducing Bottlenecks in
Plastics Recycling
When it comes to recycling plastic con-
tainers, purity and uniformity are
crucial to a successful operation. In
the best of all possible recycling worlds, no
caps, labels, dirt, metal, or glue would be col-
lected with containers, and the plastic types
and colors would be the same. Consequently,
plastics recycling would be more economical,
and the value and utility of scrap plastic
would increase significantly. In the real world,
however, recyclers often have to sort and
process complex mixtures of plastic types, col-
ors, and foreign objects.
In an attempt to improve the economics of
plastic recycling, the City/Industry Plastic
Redesign Project was formed. The project's
purpose is to encourage the redesign of plastic
containers to reduce the number of separation
steps needed before processing, making recy-
cling easier and more cost-effective. When
most plastic containers were originally
designed, manufacturers did not consider
recycling implications, since plastics recycling
had not yet begun. Now that plastics recycling
is a reality, appropriate improvements can be
made.
EPA's Region 5 (serving Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin),
EPA Headquarters, the Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources, and the New York
Department of Economic Development funded
the project. Participants included city recy-
cling officials from Dallas, Texas; Jacksonville,
Florida; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; New York,
New York; San Diego, California; and Seattle,
Washington, as well as industry representa-
tives from Avery Dennison, Owens Illinois,
Johnson Controls, Procter & Gamble, S.C. John-
son Wax, St. Jude Polymers, and EnviroPlas-
tics. The project participants found that they
had a lot of common ground; their major pre-
liminary recommendations included the fol-
lowing:
ICaps, closures, and spouts on high-density
polyethylene (HOPE) bottles should be
compatible with the type of plastic from which
the bottle is made.
^Colored caps should not be used on uncol-
^•ored HOPE bottles (for example, red caps
on clear milk jugs).
3 Aluminum caps should not be used on
plastic bottles.
4Consumers should be able to completely
remove aluminum seals.
5 Label glues should dissolve in water.
Water-soluble glues allow paper labels to
float to the top, where they can be removed.
6 HOPE base cups should be phased out on
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
WA11 layers in multilayered plastic contain-
m ers should be compatible with each other.
8Manufacturers of processing equipment
should pursue the development of a low-
volume, low-cost, automated sorting system
for detecting polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for use
in a materials recovery facility.
An area of debate among the participants
involved the use of PVC in certain containers.
City recycling officials recommended that
when a container can be made from more than
one type of plastic, PVC should not be used.
(For example, a clear plastic bottle that con-
tains salad oil or window washing fluid might
be made of either PET or PVC.)
All the project participants agreed that the
key to success in increasing the efficiency of
plastics recycling is getting the word out on
their recommendations. Once they finalize
their recommendations, the next step is to
reach industry trade associations, product
manufacturers, packaging designers, recycling
officials, and others. They will accomplish this
by presenting the recommendations at confer-
ences, distributing a report that summarizes
the recommendations, making followup phone
calls to key decision-makers, and developing a
press release. H
For more information, contact Susan Mooney of EPA Region 5 at 312 886-3585. Technical
questions can be directed to Peter Anderson of Recycle Worlds Consulting at 608 231-1100.
-------
Green Packaging
Award Is in the Bag
The latest and greenest idea in
flexible packaging is the pow-
der laundry detergent refill
bag. Designed by Paramount Pack-
aging Company for Procter & Gam-
ble, the plastic bag is the 1994
winner of the third annual Green
Globe Award. The Flexible Pack-
aging Association (FPA) awards the
Green Globe to one environmen-
tally conscious product design
each year to showcase source
reduction, pollution prevention,
and resource conservation efforts
in flexible packaging.
"This year's award-winning
package significantly reduces
waste, incorporates postcon-
sumer recycled content, and
stacks nicely on store shelves,"
said Glenn E. Braswell, president
of FPA. The bag, which holds 9.5
pounds of detergent, is designed
to refill large, "family-size" paper-
board detergent boxes. Each bag
contains 25 percent postconsumer
plastic, and uses 80 percent less
material than comparably sized
detergent boxes.
FPA has been giving awards for
innovative and quality flexible
packaging since 1956, and the
Green Globe Award since 1992.
For more information, contact
Marjorie Valin of FPA at 202 842-
3880.1
source
FPA
Conceives
Source
Reduction
Logo
It's hard to depict some-
thing that doesn't exist. But
in unveiling its new logo to
promote "source reduction,"
the Flexible Packaging Asso-
ciation (FPA) has done just
that.
Source reduction can be
defined as the design, manu-
facture, purchase, or use of
materials or products (includ-
ing packages) to reduce their
amount or toxicity before
they enter the municipal
solid waste stream. Unlike
recycling, source reduction
has not had the benefit of a
universally accepted graphic
symbol (like the "chasing
arrows") to help communi-
cate this crucial concept.
FPAs logo (pictured below)
took about a year to develop.
It features a diminishing dot
pattern and the tagline, "Less
waste in the first place." Any
individual or group can use
FPAs tagline, as long as it
agrees in writing to use the
tagline in an educational,
informational, or nonspecific
promotional manner. Only
FPA members can use the
logo. For more information,
contact Marjorie Valin at the
Flexible Packaging Associa-
tion at 202 842-3880.
reduction
less waste in fas first place!
-------
Re-Refined Oil
Purchases
Revitalized
Federal agencies can now use re-
refined engine oil in passenger
vehicles and light-duty trucks,
according to a recent policy direc-
tive issued by the General Services
Administration (GSA). In the past,
many purchasing agents had been
reluctant to use re-refined oil
because of concerns that automotive
warranties would be voided if the
oil was used.
The warranty concern was one of
several issues discussed at a "sum-
mit meeting" held in December 1994
and sponsored by GSA and the Fed-
eral Environmental Executive. The
meeting brought together govern-
ment fleet managers,
automotive and petroleum
industry representatives, and
used oil re-refiners to discuss barri-
ers and opportunities for increased
use of re-refined oil by federal agen-
cies. At the meeting, car manufac-
turers indicated that automobile
warranties would be honored as
long as the re-refined oil carries the
"starburst" seal of approval granted
by the American Petroleum Institute
(API). Several brands have already
received API certification.
This timely breakthrough clears
the way for federal agencies to reap
the benefits of using re-refined oil. It
also facilitates com-
pliance with a re-
quirement of Executive
Order 12873 on Federal Acquisition,
Recycling, and Waste Prevention;
speeds up implementation of
EPAs procurement guideline on
re-refined oil; and encourages
markets for this valuable, non-
renewable, recovered resource.
For more information about re-
refined lubricating oil, or for a
copy of EPAs Procurement Guide-
line for Lubricating Oils Contain-
ing Re-Refined Oil, contact the
RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346.1
Green Games
(Continued from page 1)
types of activities that EPA and the
Committee are targeting for waste
reduction are (1) food and beverage
services, (2) merchandising, (3)
logistics, including maintenance,
cleaning, and inventory, (4) ser-
vices for athletes and other resi-
dents of the Olympic Village, (5)
community relations, (6) spectator
services, (7) construction, and (8)
the "look" of the Games, such as the
development of banners and other
Olympic displays.
EPA has made hundreds of spe-
cific suggestions for reducing waste
at the Games, including:
• Composting food scraps from
concessions and kitchens.
• Requiring vendors to minimize
the use of transportation packag-
ing in shipments of Olympic pro-
motional products.
• Requiring vendors to use food
service products, such as dishes
and napkins, that are com-
postable.
• Using souvenir cups that can be
refilled during the Games.
EPA presented its waste preven-
tion opportunities report to the
Committee in March. The sugges-
tions chosen by the Committee will
be integrated with its existing waste
reduction efforts. Currently, the
Committee has a goal of recycling
or reclaiming 85 to 90 percent of
the solid waste produced at the
Games. The Committee has devel-
oped its own plans to meet this
goal, such as using asphalt from the
demolition of the Atlanta Fulton
County Stadium as fill in the con-
struction of parking lots after the
Games and disassembling one run-
ning track after the Games for dona-
tion to local colleges.
Atlanta's efforts are following a
growing trend toward environmen-
tal awareness at recent Olympics.
The 1994 Winter Games in Lille-
hammer, Norway, were widely
commended for their environmen-
tal initiatives, including the use of
meal plates made from maize that
were fed to livestock after use.
According to Betty Grant, pro-
gram manager for community rela-
tions and coordinator of the
organizing committee's environ-
mental initiatives, "the Committee
has made a commitment to stage
the best Games in modern history.
We could not keep that commit-
ment without being sensitive and
responsible to environmental
issues. We have been very fortu-
nate to have EPA working with us
to guide our planning and deci-
sions on environmental initia-
tives."
For more information on the
Atlanta Olympic Games waste
reduction project, contact Mary
Felton of EPA at 703 308-7260.
-------
FOCUS ON HOUSEHOL
HHW Programs Keep Residents
From Throwing It All Away
The number of
household
hazardous waste
(HHW) programs in the
United States has
grown rapidly from
just one in 1980 to
nearly 5,000 today.
These programs
provide education,
collection, reuse, and
recycling services for
communities to
manage their HHW.
HHW is what some common
household products become once
they are disposed of, and can
include such items as drain and
oven cleaners, motor oil, paint
thinners, and pesticides. The aver-
age household generates more
than 20 pounds of HHW per year.
HHW collection programs vary
in terms of frequency, structure,
operating budget, and emphasis.
Programs range from ongoing col-
lection to one-day events. Some
programs collect waste from small
businesses as well as residents.
All focus on educating residents
about alternatives and reuse.
However diverse these programs
can be, they all share a common
goal: to divert HHW from the
municipal solid waste stream.
HHW programs in Washington,
California, and Vermont provide
examples of the types of activities
communities can conduct to
achieve HHW management goals.
The city of Bellingham, Washing-
ton, is saving money on disposal
costs and helping the community
by providing a facility for resi-
dents to trade and reuse their
HHW. In Santa Monica, Califor-
nia, the Environmental Programs
Division's goal was to reduce tox-
ics use by the city in both the
community and its own offices.
Vermont is educating consumers
about toxics reduction as part of a
Shelf Labeling Law.
Bellingham's
Swap Shop
Have some extra paint? Drop it
off. Need some household
cleaner? Pick it up. That's
how the reuse or "swap" program
in Bellingham, Washington, works.
Bellingham's swap program has
been serving approximately 145,000
residents in Washington's Whatcom
County for over six years. The pro-
gram is an offshoot
of Bellingham's suc-
cessful collection
program. Reusable
products collected
for the staff, supplies, the reuse pro-
gram, and HHW disposal.
Panny uses a number of mea-
sures to save money. The program
operates out of a modest facility
and uses city staff, rather than con-
tractors, to do the bulk of the work.
According to Panny, if a commu-
nity has an existing staff taking care
of HHW collection and disposal, "a
reuse program will save you money
if you do it right."
To do it right, programs should
ensure the safety of all products
offered for reuse and avoid liability.
Panny and her staff carefully evalu-
ate each product considered for
reuse. This means checking the
condition and age of each product
and package. ("No leaks, holes, or
chunks" are acceptable, says
Panny.) Also, the product label
(where instructions on how to
properly use the product are listed)
must be intact. In
addition,
no sus-
. . if a community has an pended or canceled,
existing staff taking care pesticides are put
of HHW collection and on ^e reuse shelf
nor are anv inher-
through the HHW disposal, "a reuse program
you money if you
tion,
gerous
to residents at no products. In addi-
charge. And resi- tion. like manY
dents are taking communities that
advantage of the swap shop. Over
1,100 individuals visited the facility
in 1994.
Because every reused product is
one less item the city has to pay to
dispose of as hazardous waste, oper-
ating a reuse program actually
reduces program costs. The program
operates with one of the lowest bud-
gets in the country, according to its
coordinator, Alice Panny, of the
Bellingham Department of Public
Works. An operating budget of
approximately $78,000 a year pays
offer reuse programs, Bellingham
asks people to sign a disclaimer of
responsibility for any injuries that
might result from the improper use
of items they pick up from the
shelves.
With some of the money it has
saved, the program will move into
a larger, yet still modest, facility
next year.
For more information, contact
Alice Panny of the Bellingham
Department of Public Works, Solid
Waste Division, at 360 676-6850.
-------
D HAZARDOUS WASTE
Santa Monica:
Practicing What It
Preaches
City custodians in Santa Mon-
ica probably never thought
they would don lab coats. But
for over a year now, these individ-
uals have been the key technicians
in an "experiment" involving the
use of alternative cleaning prod-
ucts.
In July of 1993, as part of its
ongoing efforts to reduce toxics
use in the community, the city of
Santa Monica decided to turn its
attention to its own government
buildings. During a 10-month
pilot study, custodians tested
alternative polishes; waxes; and
furniture, glass, carpet, and other
cleaners. The purpose of the pilot
was to minimize workplace expo-
sure to potentially toxic chemicals
and to develop criteria for buying
cleaning products in the future.
For the study, city officials
selected several alternative com-
mercial cleaning products with
a proven track record in com-
mercial applications and environ-
mental and health safety. Custodi-
ans throughout the city tested the
products in their buildings. At the
conclusion of the study, the custo-
dians determined that the alterna-
tive products performed as well or
better than traditional cleaning
Santa Monica
Goes to
Hollywood
ost local
governments
that set out to
produce an educational film
for the community don't wind up with an
Emmy Award nomination. But the City of Santa Mon-
ica did just that with its film about household hazardous waste
(HHW) entitled "When We Throw It Away...Is It Really Away?"
Made originally for local television, the 30-minute film discusses the
issues associated with managing HHW. In particular, it discusses the finan-
cial costs incurred by the city to dispose of HHW. "Many cities spend a lot
of money on HHW," states Brian Johnson, the environmental programs
coordinator for the City of Santa Monica and co-producer of the film.
"We all need to come to terms with why we are doing this." The film
suggests several alternatives to disposing of HHW, including reusing
leftover products and using less-toxic alternatives.
Since the film garnered so much attention in Hollywood, the
city decided to expand the film and share it with the nation. A
new, one-hour version of the film provides a more compre-
hensive look at HHW management nationwide, and even
presents some international perspectives on the issue.
The film is now being marketed to public television
stations across the country.
For more information on Santa Monica's toxics reduction
program or the HHW film, contact Brian Johnson or Debbie i
Raphael with the City of Santa Monica Environmental
Programs Division at 310 458-8228 and 310 458-2255, [
respectively, or at 310 393-9975.1
products. Not only did the prod-
ucts clean well, but the city also
reduced its purchasing costs by
four percent.
The enthusiasm of the custodial
staff was critical to the pilot's success.
The study was more complicated
than simply switching products,
according to Debbie Raphael of the
Santa Monica Environmental Di-
vision. "If you don't have the sup-
port of the custodians, the project
will fail." Initially, the custodians
did not believe that the alternative
supplies would perform favorably,
but their response changed once
they actually tested the products.
At the conclusion of the pilot,
city officials developed purchas-
ing criteria for a new line of clean-
ing products. Santa Monica
elicited the help of the Washing-
ton Toxics Coalition and Green
(Continued on page 8)
-------
Focus on HHW: Santa Monica
(Continued from page 7)
Seal, two organizations dedicated
to toxics reduction, to draft the
criteria. The city then bid on a
number of product lines using the
newly developed criteria and
evaluated the products based on
environmental and human health
considerations and cost, as well as
the custodians' ratings of product
performance. The city has just
Battery
Manufacturers
Charge
Ahead
Ti
• hanks to many major U.S.
battery manufacturers, most
consumer batteries no
longer contain high levels
of mercury. The industry
has been steadily
decreasing the mercury
content in "dry-cell" bat-
teries (such as AAA, AA, C, D,
9-volt, and alkaline vari-
eties) since 1984. Now,
many of these batteries
have been reformulated
and are 99.975 percent
mercury free, according to
the industry.
The next challenge for the
industry is to improve the
efficiency of recycling
technologies for recover-
ing valuable metals
contained in dead
batteries. Recovered
metals can be used
again as raw materials
in industrial manufacturing,
such as in the steel industry. Bat-
tery manufacturers in the United
States are working with European
and Japanese companies on this
effort, and one company estimates
that improved technologies will be
available by the year 2000.
begun to purchase the new prod-
ucts for permanent use.
Vermont Consumers
are Label Conscious
Wi
alk into almost any retail
store in Vermont, and
you're likely to find
clerks doing more than simply
stocking goods. They'll also be
taping yellow labels onto shelves
displaying certain kinds of house-
hold products that contain haz-
ardous constituents.
The shelf labels are required by
a Vermont law that applies to all
retailers in the state (including
hardware stores, general stores,
and gas stations). Under the law,
retailers also must provide edu-
cational pamphlets to con-
sumers at the time of purchase.
Together, the brochures and
labels are designed to teach peo-
ple about the products they buy.
The brochures provide addi-
tional information about the
availability of alternative
products. The program is
patterned after a similar
one in Iowa, which was
the first state in the nation
to pass a shelf labeling law.
To make consumers aware of the
label program, the Vermont Agency
of Natural Resources (the Agency
tasked with running the program)
conducts numerous outreach
activities, ranging from
newspaper advertisements
to radio broadcasts. To assess
the effectiveness of its efforts,
the agency conducts periodic
surveys. According to its most
recent outreach campaign and
followup survey, the agency's efforts
have been successful. In 1994, while
46 percent of respondents indi-
cated they had seen, heard, or read
information about the program
before the outreach campaign, 58
percent of survey participants
These products contain
HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS
could recall being aware of the
information after the campaign.
This awareness shows a 12-point
increase in awareness due to the
campaign. It also shows a 19-point
increase in the level of awareness
since 1992, based on a similar sur-
vey, when the only outreach
efforts were through pamphlets
and posters.
Outreach efforts seem to be
affecting the number of people
noticing the shelf labels as well.
Before the 1994 outreach cam-
paign, 25 percent of the survey
participants recalled seeing the
shelf labels. After the campaign,
38 percent of survey participants
recalled seeing them—a 13-point
increase. In addition, in 1994,
nearly 58 percent of people who
were aware of the shelf labels
claimed to be buying fewer prod-
ucts containing hazardous con-
stituents. These results are
considered "statistically signifi-
cant, " according to the Agency. In
fact, the Agency believes that the
1994 survey "shows some real
gains in consumer awareness,"
according to John Miller, in the
Agency's Department of Environ-
mental Conservation.
For more information on the
program, call John Miller at the
Vermont Agency of Natural
Resources at 802 241-3444.1
-------
DID YOU
KNOW?
t's now easier than
ever to recycle used
I toner cartridges from
your laser printer. While
hundreds of indepen-
dent recyclers nation-
wide accept used toner
cartridges, you now can
mail them free of charge
to meet their maker. Can-
non, Hewlett-Packard, Apple,
and Digital Equipment Corpora-
tion will pick up the postage on
used cartridges manufactured
specifically for their printers if
shipped via UPS or Mailboxes,
Etc.
For more information,
call Cannon at 800 962-2708,
Hewlett-Packard at 800 527-
3753, or Apple at 800 776-2333
Reusable News Online —
New and Improved!
Thanks to recent advances in computer
software, graphic versions of Reusable
News are now available online! Unlike
the text-only versions that EPA has been
posting on the Internet since last spring,
these issues include all the newsletter's
graphics—the photos, illustrations, and
page designs—that add context, convey
related information, and are often just plain
fun.
The files are created using Adobe Acrobat
software and can be found on the EPA Public
Access Server. While a special reader is
needed to view the files, an Acrobat Reader
v. 2.0 is available free of charge in many
locations on the Internet. EPA also has made
a copy available on its Public Access Server.
So next time you're checking out EPA's
Internet offerings, look for the new online
graphic versions of Reusable News—and
treat yourself to the latest in paperless infor-
mation! The address is gopher.epa.gov
under EPA Offices and Regions, Office of
Solid Waste.
Finding Hidden Source Reduction Numbers
You've started using ceramic
mugs instead of disposable
cups, made arrangements to
return snipping crates for reuse,
and duplex copy nearly all docu-
ments. You've forged ahead with
source reduction, and now won-
der how to measure the dollars
you've saved and the waste you've
reduced.
You are not alone. Measuring
source reduction results can be
challenging for both communities
and organizations. Communities
can find it difficult to get good
baseline data on waste generation
in the first place. Distinguishing
between residential and commer-
cial waste generation also can be
challenging. For organizations, it
can be hard to tell if the waste
reductions they are achieving are
truly due to source reduction
activities or some other variable,
such as changes in the scope or
scale of operations.
To begin tackling these issues,
EPA joined forces with the Center
for Policy Alternatives, an organi-
zation dedicated to promoting
progressive policies at the state
level. For two days last December,
the two groups convened a Source
Reduction Measurement Round-
table. Approximately 25 technical
experts, academics, industry rep-
resentatives, and government offi-
cials attended the roundtable to
strategize methods for source
reduction measurement nation-
wide.
By defining source reduction
practices, identifying barriers and
opportunities to source reduction
measurement, and evaluating
effective ways already used to
measure source reduction, partici-
pants developed a number of
short- and long-term actions to
encourage source reduction mea-
surement in communities and in
industry. Among these, the group
identified two critical needs:
• Standardizing data, definitions,
and methods for collection and
reporting information.
• Developing baseline waste gen-
eration data and relating them to
economics and the population
at the national, state, and local
levels.
To this end, EPA is initiating
several source reduction measure-
ment pilot projects.
For copies of the final proceed-
ings from this Roundtable, call
Elizabeth Kelly at the Center for
Policy Alternatives at 202 387-
6030.1
-------
Revised Standards for Recycled Paper Proposed
(Continued from page 1)
Materials by recommending new
recovered materials content levels
for paper purchased by federal
agencies, their grantees, and con-
tractors. EPA also expects the new
guidance to be widely used by pri-
vate sector purchasers.
The revised recycled content lev-
els are intended to increase the use
of recycled paper products made
from recovered paper, as well as
increase the collection of discarded
paper from offices and homes. EPA's
new, two-tiered recommendations
are expressed as percentages of
total recovered and postconsumer
fiber. In most cases, EPA is
proposing a range of recovered
fiber content for each paper item.
Based on levels currently used in
recycled paper products, the
ranges are also intended to
encourage manufacturers to use
the maximum amount of postcon-
sumer and other recovered fiber
without compromising competi-
tion or product performance and
availability. This is the same
approach that EPA used in the
RMAN for the Comprehensive
Procurement Guideline (CPG)
published in 1994. Federal agen-
cies are responsible for actually
buying products that meet their
needs based on what is available
to them within the ranges recom-
mended by EPA.
Executive Order 12873 on Fed-
eral Acquisition, Recycling, and
Waste Prevention, issued by Presi-
dent Clinton in October 1993,
established the RMAN as a mech-
anism to update EPA's procure-
ment guidelines. The draft Paper
Products RMAN incorporates the
recycled content requirements for
printing and writing papers men-
tioned in Section 504 of the
Executive Order. EPA is also rec-
ommending new standards for tis-
sue products, corrugated, and
paperboard, and is adding several
new items. The RMAN covers over
50 different paper items—
virtually every type of paper pur-
chased by government agencies
(see box below).
In addition to recommending
content levels, the RMAN dis-
cusses several issues that have
surfaced since the paper procure-
ment guideline was implemented.
For example, it discusses the
method of calculating recycled
content and clarifies the types of
paper waste generated by paper
mills that can count toward recy-
cled content. In the RMAN, EPA
also suggests that agencies consider
how the papers they purchase
affect the type and amount of paper
waste they generate.
EPA received public comments
on the RMAN after it was pub-
lished in the Federal Register.
The RMAN is available through
the EPA Public Access Server on
the Internet at gopher.epa.gov.
For a paper copy of the Federal
Register notice as well as the
Draft Paper Products RMAN Sup-
porting Analyses, contact the
RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346, or
in the Washington, DC, metropol-
itan area, 703 412-9810. For tech-
nical information about the Paper
Products RMAN contact Dana
Arnold of EPA at 703 308-7279.
Items Included in the Draft Recycled Paper RMAN
Reprographic (copier paper)
Offset
Tablet
Forms Bond (computer printout)
Envelopes
Cotton Fiber Paper
Text and Cover
Supercalendered (groundwood printing
paper)
Check Safety Paper
Coated Printing Paper
Carbonless
File Folders
Dyed Filing Products
Pressboard Report Covers
Cards
Tags and Tickets
Newsprint
Bathroom Tissue
Paper Towels
Paper Napkins
Facial Tissue
Industrial Wipers
Corrugated Containers
Solid Fiber Boxes
Folding Cartons
Industrial Paperboard
Miscellaneous Paperboard
Carrierboard
Brown Papers (wrapping paper and bags)
10
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Tackling the
Tradeoffs
Two Resources on Life-Cycle Analysis
Which is the most envir-
onmentally preferable—
plastic or paper bags?
Asking a question like this is
somewhat akin to inquiring,
"Which came first, the chicken or
the egg?" In other words, there is
no easy answer.
To begin answering such a ques-
tion, one would need to evaluate
the environmental impacts associ-
ated with each product over its
entire "life cycle." (The life cycle
of a product encompasses every
step in its manufacture, use, and
ultimate disposal, including extrac-
tion of raw materials.) Throughout
the life cycle of a product or pack-
age, raw materials, energy, and
water are all expended. In addi-
tion, emissions can be released to
the air, water, and land—both dur-
ing the manufacture of a product
and once it is disposed of. To
assess and weigh all of these vari-
ables, experts conduct Life-Cycle
Analyses (LCA).
The
life cycle
of a product
encompasses
every step in
its manufacture,
use, and
ultimate
disposal.
In recent years, there have been
many approaches to conducting
LCAs. To help LCA practitioners
improve and standardize their
approach, EPA recently published two
documents:
• Life-Cycle Assessment: Public
Data Sources for the LCA Practi-
tioner (NTIS document number
PB95-191 227) provides brief
descriptions of publicly avail-
able electronic databases that
could be helpful in conduct-
ing LCAs. The databases con-
tain nonproprietary information
about products and processes,
including energy required, raw
materials used, and emissions
released. This document should
be especially useful to practi-
tioners new to LCA and those
that cannot access proprietary
industry databases. Cost infor-
mation on the use of these data-
bases is provided in the
document.
• Guidelines for Assessing the
Quality of Life-Cycle Inventory
Data (NTIS document number
PB95-191 235) provides a sug-
gested framework to help LCA
practitioners obtain better data
and standardize their method-
ologies, assumptions, and doc-
umentation of data.
These documents are available
from the National Technical Infor-
mation Service (NTIS) at the U.S.
Department of Commerce, 5285
Port Royal Road, Springfield, Vir-
gin ia 22161. You can also obtain
these documents by calling 800
553-6847 or 703 487-4650, or by
faxing your request to 703 321-
8547.1
Charter Endorsers
Lead the Way
Hwenty-three Charter Endorsers have
signed on to support WasteWi$e.
Endorsers are trade associations
and other membership-based organiza-
tions that carry the waste prevention,
recycling, and buy-recycled torch,
and encourage their members to
become WasteWi$e partners. The
Charter Endorsers are:
• American Iron and Steel Institute
• American Textile Manufacturers
Institute
• The Business and Institutional
Furniture Manufacturer's
Association
• Direct Marketing Association, Inc.
• Edison Electric Institute
• Electronic Industries Association
• Food Marketing Institute
• Foodservice & Packaging Institute
• The Glass Packaging Institute
• Grocery Manufacturers of America
• Institute of Packaging
Professionals
• National Association for
Environmental Management
• National Association of
Photographic Manufacturers, Inc.
• National Automobile Dealers
Association
• National Retail Federation
• National Soft Drink Association
• National Wooden Pallet and
Container Association
• Newspaper Association of America
• Polystyrene Packaging Council
• Steel Manufacturers Association
• Steel Recycling Institute
• The Vinyl Institute
• Virginia Recycling Association
(Continued on page 12)
11
-------
Source
the Airwaves
A series of TV public service
announcements (PSAs) on
waste prevention has
already reached more than triple
the originally targeted audience.
Halfway through the campaign, the
PSAs, which began airing nation-
wide in January, had made more
than 650 million audience impres-
sions (the number of times viewers
see the spots). The original goal
was to make 200 million impres-
sions over a six-month period.
These quick-paced, humorous
PSAs, which challenge citizens to
PSAs Hit
"Reuse stuff today....Reduce garbage
tomorrow," were created by the
National Audubon Society with
funding and assistance from EPA.
In addition to the TV PSAs, radio
ads have also been aired on more
than 23,000 stations nationwide,
(approximately 92 million audience
impressions). Print ads also have
been sent out to the nation's top
1,000 newspapers.
For more information on the
PSAs, contact Adaora Lathan at the
National Audubon Society at 202
547-9009.
Artie Olson used
the same cloth
shopping bag
524 consecutive
times. Until a
stampede for
half-price
papayas ended
his streak.
AN
YOLJTHIIi
By not using
paper bags,
Mr. Olson
eliminated
more than
100 pounds
of garbage.
fc&tc Jdrtip
T«OM :-!•»'.•'
r
\| Ml lU^^fcfDft
«. .
Charter Endorsers
Lead the Way
(Continued from page 11)
Many of these Endorsers are
encouraging their members to join
WasteWi$e through direct mailings
or articles in their association
newsletters. Some Endorsers have
asked EPA, or one of their member
companies, to speak about
WasteWi$e at upcoming association
meetings.
Other Endorsers are integrating
WasteWi$e outreach efforts with
their existing environmental initia-
tives. For example, the American
Textile Manufacturers Institute will
recommend that companies join
WasteWi$e to fulfill a requirement in
its "Encouraging Environmental
Excellence Program," which requires
members to participate in voluntary
programs.
EPA thanks all WasteWi$e
Endorsers for their support in shar-
ing the waste reduction message.fi
Selected frames from a joint Audubon/EPA public service announcement on waste
prevention airing nationwide.
Address comments or free subscription
requests to:
John Leigh, Editor (5305)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
The mention of publications, products,
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