A Guide for Federal
Office-Paper
Recycling
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EPA's Materials Recovery Guidelines for Source Separation were published in
the Federal Register April 23, 1976. The guidelines require all Federal Facilities
with 100 or more office workers to recycle high-grade office wastepaper where
it is economically feasible. Also required is separation of newspaper at the
source from Federal facilities housing 500 or more families and corrugated
paper from facilities generating 10 tons or more of corrugated paper per
month. The guidelines were written to help the Federal government attain the
goals of conserving resources, reducing solid waste loads, setting an example
for the nation, and making money for the Federal government.
2d printing, October 1980
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY/1978
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USE IT AGAIN SAM
A Guide for Federal
Office-Paper Recycling
THE EPA EXPERIENCE
EPA began recycling its office wastepaper at its Waterside Mall headquarters in
November 1975. Since then, over 400 tons of high-grade paper have been
recycled at EPA, bringing over $15,000 into the U.S. Treasury. The program is
called Use It Again, Sam and is designed to operate with a minimum of
incovenience to the individual employee. Recyclable paper is separated out
from other trash by employees at their desks and is allowed to accumulate in
the desktop containers. The employees transfer the paper to a central collec-
Recyclable paper is placed in convenient
desk-top containers by employees at their
desks.
The slogan and poster developed by EPA
for office-paper recovery programs.
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When the desk-top container is filled, the
employee deposits the wastepaper in a
central collection box identified by Use it
Again, Sam posters.
Collection boxes are unloaded into large
"gaylord" boxes, which hold up to 1,500
Ibs. of paper, kept in the storage room to
await pickup by the paper buyer.
tion box when the container is full (usually every 2 weeks or so.) This box is
located in a central spot for employees, often a secretarial bay. At EPA, the
central collection boxes are identified by a Use It Again, Sam sticker. Posters
which are on the wall above the box contain a reminder of what is recyclable in
this program and what is not. One central collection box serves approxi-
mately 20 people. Paper is collected from the box several times a week, put into
a larger box on a dolly, and is then taken to the storage room and unloaded into
a larger (4' x 4' x5') box, called a gaylord box, which holds between 1,200
and 1,500 pounds of paper. Because of an unusually large storage area, EPA
has the capacity to store over 5 tons of paper. The paper is picked up twice
monthly by EPA's paper buyer and taken to a warehouse where a quick sorting
process eliminates most contaminants. Eventually, the paper is shredded,
hydropulped, and processed into new paper or paperboard products at a
papermill.
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Other Separation Methods
There are other options for sorting the paper at the desk. Some programs use
the dual wastebasket system and others use a central box, but both are plagued
by high contamination and low participation rates. EPA studies show that the
desktop system reduces solid waste management costs by 20 percent, reduces
waste by 40 percent, has a participation rate of 90 percent, recovers 75 percent
of the eligible paper, and has a low (3 percent) contamination rate—such as
apple cores, soda bottles, and colored paper. (At EPA, the contamination rate is
usually under 1 percent.) Because of the experience at EPA and the EPA
studies, the Agency recommends the desktop system as the most effective
separation method.
Other Collection Methods
Methods for collecting the paper from the central collection boxes vary widely
throughout government and industry. Other methods include:
1. Mail cart collection. Many private companies
that have desk-to-desk mail service use the
bottom tray of the mail cart to collect paper.
2. Central collection box. Many government
buildings use this system. The central collec-
tion box is sealed when full and replaced with
an empty box. Full boxes are banded
together on a pallet in the storage area.
3. Central collection box and hamper. Some
paper dealers prefer this system. It is the
same as number 2, except that the paper is
collected from the central collection boxes
and placed in hampers. When the hampers
are full, they are left in the storage area and
replaced by the dealer with an empty
hamper.
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Paper from desks is collected on bottom
shelf of standard mail cart.
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Sealed central collection boxes are loaded
onto a pallet for pickup.
Hamper, filled with contents of several
collection boxes, is wheeled to storage
area.
CONTAMINANTS
One of the key concerns of any recycling program is delivering an uncon-
taminated load of recyclables to the buyer. Contaminants are not necessarily
things which cannot be recycled; they are merely those items which cannot be
recycled in this particular program. If the contamination rises over the amount
allowed in the contract, the government will get a lower price for the paper. In
the Use It Again, Sam program, acceptable paper includes:
2.
3.
All-white, high-grade office paper
times called "snow white")
White computer printout paper
Manila tab cards
some-
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Even if the paper contains printing, typing, or colored ink, it is acceptable if it is
white paper. A quick test is to tear the paper and see if it is white on the inside. If
so, it is acceptable in this program.
Unacceptable items include:
1. All colored paper
2. Newspapers and magazines
3. Rough off-white tablet paper
4. Glossy paper and slick paper
5. Manuals with glue or plastic bindings
6. Styrofoam cups, tissues, and paper towels
7. Rubber bands
8. Carbon paper
9. Scotch tape and self-adhesive tape
10. Envelopes
It is not necessary to remove staples from paper because magnets at the
recycling mill will remove them, but large, copper staples should be removed.
Paper clips can be reused at the desk.
FEDERAL EXPANSION
As of March 1978, 115,000 Federal employees in 90 Federal facilities are
recovering office wastepaper at the source. Over 1,000 tons of paper have
been recycled, bringing revenues of over $60,000, since the expansion of the
program throughout the Federal government. Two Federal Regions, VIII
(Denver, where it all began in 1974) and VI (Kansas City-St. Louis), are close
to full implementation. EPA's goal is to have 500,000 Federal workers recycl-
ing paper by 1980. In addition to the Federal effort, over 600 private busi-
nesses have office-paper recycling programs in operation. These companies
include banks, insurance companies, and general offices. The guidelines have
also been implemented in many State and local governments and universities.
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High-grade paper being baled after collection by paper contractor.
PAPER GENERATION RATES
Technical assistance for establishing a Use it Again, Sam program is available
in EPA's Office Paper Recovery: An Implementation Manual. However, there
are some key points that EPA has learned from its experience in working with
programs in the government that should be emphasized. Office workers gen-
erate an average of 1 ¥2 pounds of trash per person per day. Of this, EPA
recovers at Waterside Mail '/2 pound of white paper per person per day. Other
Federal facilities generate between the EPA average and Vs pound per person
per day. This difference is usually accounted for by the kind of work that the
facility does—whether it is report-generating or whether it is processing forms.
A further problem is a perceived conflict between the Privacy Act and office-
paper recycling. It is EPA's position that there is no conflict. Many banks use
recycling programs because they are assured that their paper will be pulped
and information destoyed while, at the same time, they get top dollars for their
paper.
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IMPORTANT FACTORS
The most important factors for the success of Use It Again, Sam programs
are the education sessions given to train employees and the support given
paper recycling by top-level managers. Education sessions should last no
longer than 30 minutes and should consist of a slide presentation and a
question-and-answer period. A memorandum, signed by the ranking officer of
the agency giving his/her personal support to office-paper recycling, should
direct all employees to attend an education session. By all employees, we mean
just that. Not just secretaries, not just division directors who will train their
employees, but all employees—because everyone generates trash. Time and
time again, the experience of office-paper recycling programs has been that
where the training sessions are well attended, the program is a success.
Baled paper awaits
processing at recycling
center.
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SOURCE SEPARATION
BY OFFICE EMPLOYEES
COLLECTION BY
MAINTENANCE STAFF
STORAGE BY
MAINTENANCE STAFF
LOADING FOR SHIPMENT
BY MAINTENANCE STAFF
OR CONTRACTOR
FURTHER INFORMATION
Please contact EPA's Office of Solid Waste, Resource Recovery Division,
Washington, DC 20460.
ya!692
SW-571
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