2000 Buy-Recycled Series

Nonpaper Office Products

United States 

Environmental Protection 

Agency

EPA530-F-00-011

April 2000

www.epa.gov/cpg

Solid Waste

and Emergency Response

(5306W)

1EPA

The soda bottle you recycled after

lunch might end up back on your

desk as a recycled binder or pencil

holder. Used toner cartridges and printer

ribbons once considered “trash” are now

remanufactured and returned, providing

your office with high-performance products

at considerable savings. 

To make it easier to buy recycled, the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) updates the Comprehensive Procurement

Guidelines (CPG) every 2 years. Through the CPG, EPA designates

items that must contain recycled materials when purchased by

federal, state, and local agencies, or by government contractors,

using appropriated federal funds. Several nonpaper office 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 nonregulatory companion guidance—the Recovered Materials Advisory

Notice (RMAN)—that recommends levels of recycled content for

those items.

If you’re involved in purchasing office supplies, you can help

close the recycling loop and create a demand for the materials we

collect for recycling each day. Lead by example—buy recycledcontent office products such as trash bags, binders, plastic

envelopes and file folders, and desktop accessories.

EcoPurchasing means

considering attributes 

such as

❖

recycled content

toxicity

reusability

durability

repairability

❖

before you buy 

a product.

2 Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
Recycling is more than just dropping off

your cans, bottles, and newspapers at

the curb or at a local collection facility.

Diverting recyclables from the waste stream is

only the first of three steps in the recycling

process. The second step occurs when companies use these recyclables to manufacture new

products. The third step comes when you purchase products made from recovered materials.

That’s how we close the loop.

To support markets for the materials collected in recycling programs and to help these programs expand, the Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act requires agencies to buy recycled-content products designated by EPA. In

addition, President Clinton signed Executive

Order 13101 in September 1998, which called

for an increase in the federal government’s use

of recycled-content and other environmentally

preferable products.

Issued in May 1995, the first CPG designated 19 new products in seven product categories, including binders, office recycling

containers, office waste receptacles, plastic

desktop accessories, plastic trash bags, and

toner cartridges. The first CPG also incorporated five previously designated items. Procuring

agencies are required to purchase these items

with recycled content. The first CPG update

(CPG II) was published in November 1997, and

designated an additional 12 items, including

plastic envelopes and printer ribbons. A second CPG update (CPG III) was published in

January 2000 and designated an additional 

18 items, including plastic binders, plastic clipboards, plastic file folders, plastic clip portfolios, and plastic presentation folders.

Procuring agencies include all federal agencies, and any state or local government agency

or government contractor that uses appropriated federal funds to purchase the designated

items. If your agency spends more than $10,000

per year on a product designated in the CPG,

you are required to purchase it with the highest

recycled-content level practicable. The CPG

also applies to lease contracts covering designated items.

Once designated, an agency has 1 year to

develop an affirmative procurement program

(or revise an existing one) for a designated item

it purchases. By May 1, 1996, agencies were

required to develop affirmative procurement

programs to incorporate buy-recycled requirements for recycling containers and waste receptacles; plastic desktop accessories; plastic

covered, paper covered, and pressboard

binders; trash bags; and toner cartridges. By

November 13, 1998, agencies were required to

revise their affirmative procurement programs

to add printer ribbons and plastic envelopes.

Agencies also must revise their affirmative procurement programs to add the items designated

under CPG III by January 2001. This effort

might involve reviewing specifications for

those products and eliminating provisions that

pose barriers to procuring them with recycled

content (such as aesthetic requirements unrelated to product performance). Also, be aware

that paper envelopes were designated in CPG I.

Recommended recycled-content ranges for

paper envelopes are addressed in the RMAN

for paper products and can also be found in the

Buy-Recycled Series Paper Products fact sheet.

The CPG acknowledges, however, that specific circumstances might arise that preclude

the purchase of products made with recovered

materials. Your agency may purchase designated items that do not contain recovered materials if it determines that: 1) the price of a given

designated item made with recovered materials

is unreasonably high, 2) there is inadequate

competition (not enough sources of supply), 

3) unusual and unreasonable delays would

result from obtaining the item, or 4) the recycled-content item does not meet the agency’s

reasonable performance specifications.

The CPG

requires 

federal 

agencies to

buy items

made from

recovered

materials.

What Is The CPG?
How Do I Purchase Recycled-Content Nonpaper Office Products?

EPA issues guidance in RMANs, which are

designed to make it as easy as possible to buy the

designated items. The RMANs recommend recycled-content levels to look for when purchasing office

products, as shown in the chart on the next page.

Following the RMANs’ recommended levels will help

ensure your affirmative procurement program and standards meet the buy-recycled requirements.

Rather than specifying just one level of recycled

content, the RMANs recommend ranges that reflect

actual market conditions. The recommendations are

based on market research identifying recycled-content

products that are commercially available, are competitively priced, and meet buyers’ quality standards.

Refer to EPA’s availability list entitled “Nonpaper

Office Products Containing Recovered Materials” for

sources of the designated nonpaper office items. See

the last section of this fact sheet for this and other

helpful resources.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been using Tyvek® envelopes

with a minimum of 25 percent postconsumer high-density polyethylene

(HDPE) plastic ever since the product became available. In a typical year,

USPS spends more than $20 million on 120 million Tyvek® envelopes nationwide, using them primarily for express mail and priority mail. USPS staff

credit the reliability, superior strength, and lightweight properties of Tyvek®

for its success in the USPS mail distribution network. The U.S. General

Services Administration (GSA) also cites the envelopes’ strength and weight as

reasons for their annual use of almost 2 million envelopes nationwide at a

purchasing cost of more than $400,000. For more information, contact Dick

Lee of the USPS at 202 268-4153 or Cathy Ferreira of GSA at 212 264-2683.

The state of Alabama has used reinked printer ribbons for years. The state purchasing agency has ordered more than 3,000 reinked ribbons since November

1991. The Alabama Department of Human Resources alone typically requests

approximately 200 reinked ribbons per year. In addition, the cost of the

reinked ribbons is six times less than the cost of buying new ribbons and cartridges. For more information, contact John P. Patterson of the state of Alabama

at 334 242-3243 or Patricia Antle at 334 242-7253.

In 1993, the USPS district in Maine began purchasing reinked printer ribbons,

in large part due to the environmental commitment of an individual in the

purchasing department. Today, the district purchases more than 150 ribbons a

year from a local manufacturer, for both large and small impact printers. The

switch has worked out quite well. The reinked ribbons are one-third to onehalf as expensive as virgin ribbons. Maine USPS staff members are very

pleased with the performance of the product, noting that the ribbons last as

long, if not longer, than virgin ribbons. For more information, contact Bob

Kearney of the USPS at 207 828-8423.

Plastic Envelopes:

• Used in heavy-duty, 

security-related, and

other specialized mailing

applications by the

express mail, banking,

legal, and other 

industries.

• Lightweight, tearresistant, durable, and

water-resistant.

CASE STUDY: U.S. Postal Service & U.S. General Services Administration

CASE STUDY: U.S. Postal Service

• Reinked printer ribbons

are used ribbons in printer cartridges that are

reinked using electromagnetic machinery. Ribbons

can be reinked until they

reach the end of their

useful life and begin to

fall apart.

• Reloaded printer ribbons

are new fabric ribbons

that are reloaded by vendors when used ribbons

run out of ink. The printer cartridge is reused.

Printer Ribbons: CASE STUDY: State of Alabama
1EPA’s recommendations do not preclude procuring agencies from purchasing nonpaper office products manufactured using other materials, such as wood or

cloth. EPA simply recommends that procuring agencies, when purchasing nonpaper office products designated in the procurement guidelines, purchase these

products containing recovered materials.

2The recommended recovered materials content levels for steel in this table reflect the fact that the designated item is made from steel manufactured from in a

Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF). Steel from the BOF process contains 25-30% total recovered materials, of which 16% is postconsumer steel. 

How Do I Purchase Recycled-Content Nonpaper Office Products? (continued)

EPA’s Recommended Content Levels for Nonpaper Office Products

Nonpaper Office Product1

Recycling Containers and Waste Receptacles:

—Plastic

—Steel2

—Paper

–Corrugated

–Solid Fiber Boxes

–Industrial Paperboard

Plastic Desktop Accessories (polystyrene) including 

desk organizers, sorters, and trays, and memo, note, 

and pencil holders

Binders:

—Plastic-Covered

—Paper-Covered

—Pressboard

—Solid Plastic

–HDPE

–PE

–PET

–Misc. Plastics

Trash Bags (plastic)

Toner Cartridges

Printer Ribbons

Plastic Envelopes

Plastic Clipboards:

—HDPE

—PS

—Misc. Plastics

Plastic File Folders

—HDPE

Plastic Clip Portfolios

—HDPE

Plastic Presentation Folders

—HDPE

Recovered Material Content Recommendations

20–100% (postconsumer)

16% (postconsumer)/25–30% (total)

25–50% (postconsumer)/25–50% (total)

40% (postconsumer)

40–80% (postconsumer)/100% (total)

25–80% (postconsumer)

25–50%

75–100% (postconsumer)/90–100% (total)

20% (postconsumer)/50% (total)

90% (postconsumer)/90% (total)

30–50% (postconsumer)/30–50% (total)

100% (postconsumer)/100% (total)

80% (postconsumer)/80% (total)

10–100% (postconsumer)

Return used toner cartridges for remanufacturing and reuse or

purchase a remanufactured or recycled-content replacement

cartridge.

Procure printer ribbon reinking or reloading services or procure reinked or reloaded printer ribbons.

25% (postconsumer)/25–35% (total)

90% (postconsumer)/90% (total)

50% (postconsumer)/50% (total)

15% (postconsumer)/15–80% (total)

90% (postconsumer)/90% (total)

90% (postconsumer)/90% (total)

90% (postconsumer)/90% (total)
How Can I Get More Information?

Information Available From EPA

This fact sheet and the following publications on

buying recycled-content products are available or

can be accessed in electronic format on the

Internet at <www.epa.gov/cpg>. Use Internet email to order paper copies of documents. Include the requestor’s

name and mailing address on all orders. Address e-mail to: rcradocket@epamail.epa.gov.

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., e.s.t.

❖ EPA Expands Comprehensive Procurement Guideline

(CPG) (EPA530-F-00-017). This 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. FR notices promulgating CPG II (62

FR 60961/EPA530-Z-97-009) and RMAN II (62 FR

60975/EPA530-Z-97-010), November 13, 1997. FR notices

promulgating CPG III (65 FR 3070) and RMAN III (65 FR

3082), January 19, 2000.

❖ Nonpaper Office Products Containing Recovered Materials

(EPA530-B-99-014). This list identifies manufacturers and suppliers of nonpaper office products 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 home page at <www.epa.gov/oppt/epp>.

Other Sources of Information

❖ Buy Recycled Business Alliance. The

Alliance includes over 3,200 companies 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 entities can join for free. For more

information, contact Kevin Barry, National Recycling Coalition,

1727 King Street, Suite 105, Alexandria, VA 22314-2720. Phone:

703 683-9025, Ext. 210. Fax: 703 683-9026. 

Web site: www.nrc-recycle.org 

E-mail: brbainfo@nrc-recycle.org.

❖ DLA Environmental Products Catalogue. This document is

an important source of supply information for environmental

products from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). It includes

items from all DLA inventory control points containing recycled

material or having other environmental benefits. For more

information, call 800 345-6333 or fax 800 352-3291. Military

customers can call DSN 695-5699 or fax DSN 695-5695. For

information on the CD-ROM version of the catalogue, contact

the DLA Service Center at 616 961-4459 or DSN 932-4459.

Web site: www.dscr.dla.mil

❖ U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) GSA publishes

various supply catalogs, guides, and schedules for recycledcontent 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

76115-9939. Phone: 817 334-5215. Fax: 817 334-5561. You

can also access GSA Advantage!, GSA’s Internet-based online

ordering system, to order any GSA product at <www.fss.gsa.

gov/cgi-bin/advwel>.

— Recycling Collection Containers and Specialty Waste

Receptacles, Federal Supply Schedule Group 72, Part

7, Schedule B. Lists a variety of containers and receptacles available for purchase. 

— Next Day Delivery Office Supplies, Federal Supply

Schedule Group 75, Part 3, Section A. Lists 25 percent

recovered-content plastic envelopes for purchase for next

day delivery.

— Environmental Products Guide. This guide is designed

to help procurement officials identify environmentally

preferable products and services. It contains nearly 3,000

items, including many recycled-content products.

❖ Greening the Government: A Guide to Implementing

Executive Order 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, Ariel Rios Building, Mail Code 1600S, 1200

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460. Phone:

202 564-1297. Fax: 202 564-1393. 

Web site: www.ofee.gov 

You can also download an electronic version on the Internet at

<www.ofee.gov/html/guide/html>.

❖ 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

NASPO web site at <fcn.state.fl.us/bpsr/drc_notice.html>.

❖ Official Recycled Products Guide. This directory lists more

than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors of recycled-content

products, including those of plastic desktop accessories, trash

bags, and plastic envelopes. Contact: 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 approximately 300 manufacturers, including nonpaper office products. 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 Web site at

<www.plasticsresource.com>.
How Can I Get More Information? (Continued)

1EPA

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

(5306W)

Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.

Washington, DC 20460

Official Business 

Penalty for Private Use $300

Internet Sites

Government Sites

❖ The Comprehensive Procurement

Guidelines: <www.epa.gov/cpg>. This site

describes EPA’s effort to facilitate the procurement of products containing recovered materials, including

information on CPG, RMANs, and the Buy-Recycled Series.

❖ Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP):

<www.epa.gov/oppt/epp>. EPA’s Environmentally Preferable

Purchasing program encourages and assists federal agencies

to purchase environmentally preferable products and services.

The site explains EPA’s proposed guiding principles for including environmental performance in purchasing decision-making,

and posts case studies of successful pilot projects in both the

public and private sectors.

❖ Federal Trade Commission:

<www.ftc.gov/bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm>. The Federal

Trade Commission issued Guides for the Use of Environmental

Marketing Claims in May 1998.

❖ The Fedmarket Procurement Assistance Jumpstation:

<www.fedmarket.com/sales_resources/bids/federal.html>.

This site contains links to many sites containing procurement

information.

❖ Jobs Through Recycling: <www.epa.gov/jtr>. EPA’s Jobs

Through Recycling program stimulates economic growth and

recycling market development by assisting businesses and

supporting a network of state and regional recycling contacts.

This Web site provides information on financing and technical

assistance for recycling businesses, as well as other market

development tools.

❖ King County Recycled Product Procurement Program:

<www.metrokc.gov/oppis/recyclea.html>. This site describes

the tools and techniques developed by King County,

Washington, agencies for purchasing recycled products.

❖ Municipal Solid Waste: <www.epa.gov/msw>. This site

includes information on recycling, source reduction, and reuse.

Contains state municipal solid waste data and the latest facts

and figures on waste generation and disposal.

❖ WasteWise: <www.epa.gov/wastewise>. WasteWise is a free,

voluntary EPA program through which organizations eliminate

costly municipal solid waste, benefitting their bottom line and

the environment. The program provides hands-on assistance

to members to help them purchase or manufacture recycledcontent products, prevent waste, and recycle solid waste 

materials.

Product Information

❖ Recycling Data Network Information Services:

<www.epa.gov/cpg/links.htm>. This commercial Web site provides access, on a subscription basis, to a recycled-content

products database of over 4,500 listings in 700 product classifications. Managed by the publisher of the Official Recycled

Products Guide, the product database is considered to be the

largest of its kind.

❖ California Recycled-Content Product Database:

<www.ciwmb.ca.gov/RCP>. 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 convertors across the country who procure or produce these products.

In addition, contact your state solid waste management agency

for information about local and regional businesses that produce or distribute recycled-content products.