Federal Guidelines

Recommended Recycled Content for Products

The federal Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) program is part of U.S. EPA's continuing effort to promote the use of materials recovered from solid waste. Buying recycled-content products ensures that the materials collected in recycling programs will be used again in the manufacture of new products.

These guidelines are intended for those using federal funds — federal, state and local agencies, and/or their contractors. If any of these parties are purchasing a designated product and are spending more than $10,000/year on it, these guidelines for purchasing products with recycled content are in force. Since 1991, over 30 items have been designated.

These guidelines are a useful reference for companies and organizations who are not required to "buy recycled." The recycled content figures are a useful benchmark to for comparing products and establishing reasonable goals.

Recycled Products in the CPG

Visit the EPA's CPG Web site

In January 2000, an additional 18 items were added to the EPA's list: carpet cushion; flowable fill; railroad grade crossing surfaces; park benches and picnic tables; playground equipment; food waste compost; plastic lumber landscaping timbers and posts; solid plastic binders; plastic clipboards; plastic file folders; plastic clip portfolios; plastic presentation folders; sorbents; awards and plaques; industrial drums; manual-grade strapping; mats; and signage. We are in the process of updating this Web site to include information on the newly designated items.

Office Products

Binders - Paperboard 75-100% post-consumer (90-100% recovered)
Binders - Pressboard 20% post-consumer (50% recovered)
Binders - Plastic 25-50% recovered
Desktop Accessories - Plastic 25-80% post-consumer polystyrene
Paper (most forms of office paper, cover stock, envelopes, manila folders) 30% post-consumer
Other paper (e.g., Kraft envelopes) 10-20% post-consumer
Plastic Envelopes 25% post-consumer (25-35% recovered plastic)
Printer Ribbons reinked/reloaded printer ribbons
Toner Cartridges recharged/remanufactured

Building Insulation

Cellulose, Loose Fill 75% post-consumer paper
Cellulose, Spray On 75% post-consumer paper
Fiberglass 20-25% glass cullet
Perlite Composite Board 23% post-consumer paper
Phenolic Rigid Foam 5% recovered
Plastic, Non-Woven Batt 100% post-consumer or recovered plastic
Rock Wool 75% slag
Plastic Rigid Foam - Polyisocyanurate/Polyurethane
  • Rigid Foam
  • Foam-in-Place
  • Glass Fiber Reinforced
    		•  9% recovered
    5% recovered
    6% recovered

    Construction Products
    Carpet - Polyester 25-100% post-consumer PET (25-100% recovered)
    Cement and Concrete 0-40% coal fly ash
    25-50% ground granulated blast furnace slag
    Dividers - Restroom and Shower 20-100% post-consumer plastic or
    16% post-consumer steel (20-30% recovered steel)
    Fiberboard - Structural 80% recovered
    Floor Tiles 80% recovered
    Paint - Reprocessed Latex (white, pastel) 20% post-consumer
    Paint - Reprocessed Latex (gray, dark) 50-99% post-consumer
    Paint - Consolidated Latex 100% post-consumer
    Paperboard - Laminated 100% post-consumer
    Patio Blocks 90-100% post-consumer rubber or
    90-100% recovered plastic

    Landscaping Products
    Lawn Edging 30-100% post-consumer plastic/rubber
    Garden Hose 60-65% post-consumer plastic/rubber
    Soaker Hose 60-70% post-consumer plastic/rubber
    Hydraulic Mulch 100% post-consumer paper-based or
    100% recovered wood-/paper-based
    Yard Trimmings Compost composting and use of compost instead of fertilizers and soil amendments recommended

    Janitorial Products
    Napkins - Paper 30-60% post-consumer (30-100% recovered)
    Towels - Paper 40-60% post-consumer (40-100% recovered)
    Recycling Containers/Trash Receptacles
  • plastic
  • steel
  • corrugated
  • solid fiber boxes
  • industrial paperboard
    		•  20% post-consumer
    25-100% recovered steel
    25-50% post-consumer corrugated
    40% post-consumer
    40-80% post-consumer (100% recovered)
    Bathroom/Toilet Tissue 20-60% post-consumer (20-100% recovered)
    Facial Tissue 10-15% post-consumer (10-100% recovered)
    Trash Bags - Plastic 10-100% post-consumer
    General Purpose Industrial Wipers - Paper 40% post-consumer (40-100% recovered)

    Miscellaneous Products
    Newsprint 20-85% post-consumer (20-100% recovered)
    Pallets - Wood 95% post-consumer
    Pallets - Plastic 100% post-consumer
    Pallets - Paperboard 50% post-consumer
    Tray Liners - Paper 50-75% post-consumer (100% recovered)
    Snow Fencing - Plastic 60-100% post-consumer (90-100% recovered)

    Park & Recreation
    Playground Surfaces 90-100% post-consumer rubber or plastic
    Running Track Surface 90-100% post-consumer rubber or plastic

    Transportation Products
    Channelizers 25-95% post-consumer plastic 100% post-consumer rubber base
    Delineators 25-90% post-consumer plastic
    100% post-consumer rubber base or
    25-50% post-consumer steel base
    Flexible Delineators 25-85% post-consumer plastic
    Parking Stops - Plastic 100% post-consumer
    Parking Stops - Rubber 100% post-consumer
    Parking Stops - Concrete 20-40% recovered coal fly ash or
    25-70% recovered slag in concrete
    Flexible Delineators 25-85% post-consumer plastic
    Traffic Barricades - Plastic 80% post-consumer
    Traffic Barricades - Steel 25-100% recovered
    Traffic Barricades - Fiberglass 100% recovered
    Traffic Cones 50-100% post-consumer crumb rubber or plastic

    Vehicle Maintenance Products
    Engine Coolants reclaimed
    Lubricating Oils 25% re-refined
    Tires - Retread must meet Federal Specification ZZ-T-381

     

    Updated February 10, 2000


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