2000 Buy-Recycled Series

Construction Products

United States 

Environmental Protection 

Agency

EPA530-F-00-009

April 2000

www.epa.gov/cpg

Solid Waste

and Emergency Response

(5306W)

Construction project managers are

learning what the U.S. Army and

U.S. Navy already know—recycled

construction products are cost-effective, reliable, easy to obtain, and environmentally

friendly. Whether you’re erecting a new

building or constructing a new highway,

high-quality recycled-content products can help you get your project

off to a great start!

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. Among these items, EPA has designated

several construction products, ranging from carpet made from soda

bottles to insulation made from yesterday’s newspaper. 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.

From small jobs to major projects, inside or out, recycled-content

construction materials are the way to go. So, whether you’re laying

the foundation of a building, installing carpet, or constructing and

painting walls, choose recycled-content products to make each job a

success while doing your part to help conserve natural resources!

2Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.

1EPA

EcoPurchasing means 

considering attributes 

such as

❖

recycled content

toxicity

reusability

durability

repairability

❖

before you buy 

a product.
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 recycledcontent 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 recycledcontent and other environmentally

preferable products.

Issued in May 1995, the first CPG

designated 19 new products and incorporated five previously designated

items (including insulation and cement

and concrete containing coal fly ash) in

seven product categories. 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 shower

and restroom dividers/partitions and

reprocessed and consolidated latex

paint. A second CPG update (CPG III)

was published in January 2000 and

designated an additional 18 items,

including carpet cushion, flowable fill,

and railroad grade crossing surfaces.

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 recycledcontent 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 buyrecycled requirements for construction

board, thermal insulation, floor tiles,

and carpet. By November 13, 1998,

agencies were required to revise their

affirmative procurement programs to

add shower and restroom dividers/partitions and reprocessed and consolidated latex paint. Agencies also must

revise their affirmative procurement

programs to add the items designated

under CPG III by January 19, 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).

What Is The CPG?

The CPG

requires 

federal 

agencies to

buy items

made from 

recovered

materials.

2
3

Before purchasing construction products containing recovered materials, you might need to

review certain key terms:

• Coal fly ash: Coal fly ash is a byproduct of

coal burning at electric utility plants. It is

called “fly” ash because it is transported from

the combustion chamber by exhaust gases.

• Flowable fill: Flowable fill is a wet, flowable

slurry made up of coal fly ash, water, a coarse

aggregate (such as foundry sand), and a portland cement that is used as an economical fill

or backfill material. It can take the place of

concrete, compacted soils, or sand commonly

used to fill around pipes or void areas.

• Foundry sand: Foundry sand is clean, highquality silica sand or lake sand from both ferrous and nonferrous metal castings.

• Ground granulated blast furnace (GGBF) slag:

Blast furnace slag is a byproduct of iron blast

furnaces. The slag is ground into granules finer

than portland cement and can be used as an

ingredient in concrete.

• Rock wool: This composition of fibers manufactured from slag or natural rock is used in

building insulation.

• Structural fiberboard: This is a panel made

from wood, cane, or paper fibers matted

together and used for sheathing, structural,

and insulating purposes.

• Laminated paperboard: These boards are

made from one or more plies of kraft paper

bonded together and are used for decorative,

structural, or insulating purpose.

• Reprocessed paint: This is postconsumer latex

paint that has been sorted by a variety of characteristics that are dictated by the recycler. In

general, the paint is sorted by type (i.e., interior versus exterior), by light and dark colors,

and by finish (i.e., high-gloss versus flat). The

reprocessor adds raw materials to meet the

performance and color requirements expected

or required by the end user.

• Consolidated paint: This product consists of

postconsumer latex paint with similar characteristics (such as type, color family, and finish)

that is consolidated at the point of collection.

The postconsumer paints are blended together

and repackaged, usually with few or no new

ingredients added to improve the performance

of the resulting paint.

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.

Key Terms
How Do I Purchase Recycled-Content Construction 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 construction products, as shown in the

chart on page 6. Following the RMANs’ recommended levels will help ensure your affirmative

procurement program and standards meet the buyrecycled 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, competitively priced, and that meet

buyers’ quality standards. 

Refer to EPA’s availability list entitled

“Construction Products Containing Recovered

Materials” for sources of the designated construction items. See the last section of this fact sheet for

this and other helpful resources.

In the spring of 1997, King County, Washington, hit a home run by using 100 percent reprocessed latex

paint in the administrative offices of the Kingdome, home of the Seattle Mariners. Averaging $7.50 per gallon, the reprocessed paint was not only less expensive than its virgin counterpart, but it covered just as

well, according to stadium administration. 

In addition, the King County Solid Waste Division continues to test new reprocessed latex paints for use at

county parks and municipal buildings. In the past few years, the county has used between 100 and 150 gallons of reprocessed latex paint, primarily in remodeling efforts in the county. The county also works to

ensure recovery of all unused paint through a well-established household hazardous waste collection program and industrial materials exchange, diverting usable paints and paint products to citizens, schools,

and businesses that can reuse the materials. For more information, contact Karen Hamilton of King County

at 253 296-4317.

CASE STUDY: King County, Washington, Hits a Home Run with Recycled Paint

4
The engineers at the Army Corps of Engineers

(ACE) are no strangers to mixing cement and concrete using recovered materials. Their contracts

have specified the use of coal fly ash in concrete

for more than 20 years and, more recently, have

required the use of GGBF slag in concrete mixes

for buildings and roads. While pleased with the

overall performance of both recovered materials,

the engineers say they particularly like the

improved workability that coal fly ash provides

over concrete mixed with portland cement. For

more information, contact Greg Hughes of ACE at

202 761-4140.

CASE STUDY: Fly Ash Takes Wing 

at ACE 

As the major supplier of reprocessed paint to government agencies, the U.S. General Services

Administration’s (GSA’s) Paint and Chemical

Commodity Center takes its environmental commitment seriously. In 1996, the agency painted its

regional administrator’s office in Seattle,

Washington, with the recovered paint it sells. The

recovered paint provided excellent coverage and

durability. The agency built on the success of this

project by painting a number of other GSA offices

and facilities with recovered content latex paint

in 1997. For more information, contact Janice

Douglas of GSA at 206 931-7081.

CASE STUDY: U.S. General Services

Administration—Practicing

What it Preaches

In 1996, the Georgia Department of

Transportation (GDOT) developed contract specifications for the use of flowable fill as an alternative to compacted soil in construction and

maintenance projects. Flowable fill replaced soil

in applications such as beddings, encasements

and closures for tanks and pipes, and general

backfill for trenches and abutments. The GDOT

mixture combines portland cement, fly ash, fine

aggregate, air entraining, and water, according to

engineer approval, to create a self-leveling product. Flowable fill “...is as good as compacted soil

and it’s quicker and easier to use,” explained

GDOT’s Mike Cown. For more information on

GDOT’s specifications or its use of flowable fill,

contact Mike Cown at 404 363-7513.

CASE STUDY: U.S. Georgia Department 

of Transportation Eases the Flow

High Cliff State Park in Menasha, Wisconsin, has

used recovered-content plastic dividers in all its

restroom facilities for 4 years. Although the initial

cost of the dividers was higher than those used in

the past, the park saved money in reduced maintenance and repair costs. Park officials are

extremely pleased with the quality and performance of the product, having experienced no

rusting, corrosion, repainting, or graffiti problems

since installing the new dividers. For more information, contact Fran Dietzan of the Wisconsin

Department of Natural Resources at 920 989-1404.

CASE STUDY: High Cliff State Park,

Wisconsin—Maintenance Free and

Recycled, Too!

5
6

How Do I Purchase Recycled-Content Construction Products? (Continued)

Product Material Percentage of Percentage of

Postconsumer Total Recovered

Materials Materials

Structural Fiberboard Recovered Materials - 80–100 

Laminated Paperboard Postconsumer Paper 100 100 

Rock Wool Insulation Slag - 75 

Fiberglass Insulation Glass Cullet - 20–25 

Cellulose Insulation (loose-fill and spray-on) Postconsumer Paper 75 75 

Perlite Composite Board Insulation Postconsumer Paper 23 23 

Plastic Rigid Foam, Polyisocyanurate/ Recovered Material - 9

Polyurethane: Rigid Foam Insulation 

Foam-in-Place Insulation Recovered Material - 5 

Glass Fiber Reinforced Insulation Recovered Material - 6 

Phenolic Rigid Foam Insulation Recovered Material - 5 

Floor Tiles (heavy duty/commercial use) Rubber 90–100 -

Plastic - 90–100

Patio Blocks Rubber or Rubber Blends 90–100 -

Plastic or Plastic Blends - 90–100 

Polyester Carpet Fiber Face Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Resin 25–100 25–100

Latex Paint:

—Consolidated1 Recovered Material 100 100

—Reprocessed2

–White, Off-White, Pastel Colors Recovered Material 20 20

–Grey, Brown, Earthtones, and Recovered Material 50–99 50–99

Other Dark Colors 

Shower and Restroom Dividers/Partitions: Plastic 20–100 20–100

Steel4 16 25–30

67 100

Carpet Cushion:

—Bonded Polyurethane Old Carpet Cushion 15–50 15–50

—Jute Burlap 40 40

—Synthetic Fibers Carpet Fabrication Scrap - 100

—Rubber Tire Rubber 60–90 60–90

Railroad Grade Crossing Surfaces

—Concrete Coal Fly Ash - 15–20

—Rubber3 Tire Rubber - 85–95

—Steel4 Steel 16 25–30

67 100

EPA’s Recommended Content Levels for Construction Products

1 Consolidated latex paint used for covering graffiti, where color and consistency of performance are not primary concerns.

2 Reprocessed latex paint used for interior and exterior architectural applications such as wallboard, ceilings, and trim; gutterboards; and concrete, stucco, masonry,

wood, and metal surfaces. 3 The recommended recovered materials content for rubber railroad grade crossing surfaces are based on the weight of the raw materials, exclusive of any additives

such as binders or additives. 4 The recommended recovered materials content levels for steel in this table reflect the fact that the designated items can be made from steel manufactured from

either a Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) or an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). Steel from the BOF process contains 25-30% total recovered materials, of which 16% is

postconsumer steel. Steel from the EAF process contains a total of 100% recovered steel, of which 67% is postconsumer.
ASTM D 2000-96, “Rubber

Products in Automotive

Applications.”

ASTM D 2240-97, “Rubber

Property—Durometer

Hardness.”

ASTM D 412-97, “Vulcanized

Rubber and Thermoplastic

Rubbers and Thermoplastic

Elastomers—Tension.”

ASTM D 297-93, “Rubber

Products—Chemical Analysis.”

ASTM E 303-93, “Measuring

Surface Frictional Properties

Using the British Pendulum

Tester.”

ASTM D 1171-94, “Rubber

Deterioration—Surface Ozone

Cracking Outdoors or Chamber

(Triangular Specimens).”

ASTM D 573-88, “Deterioration

in an Air Oven.”

ASTM D 395-89, “Rubber

Property—Compression Set.”

ASTM D 257-93, “DC

Resistance or Conductance of

Insulating Materials.”

ASTM D 2137-94, “Rubber

Property—Brittleness Point of

Flexible Polymers and Coated

Fabrics.”

ASTM1 C 595, “Standard

Specification for Blended

Hydraulic Cements.”

ASTM C 150, “Standard

Specification for Portland

Cement.”

AASHTO M 240, “Blended

Hydraulic Cements.”

ASTM C 618, “Standard Specification for

Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural

Pozzolan for Use as a Mineral Admixture

in Portland Cement Concrete.”

ASTM C 311, “Standard Methods of

Sampling and Testing Fly Ash and Natural

Pozzolans for Use as a Mineral

Admixture in Portland Cement Concrete.”

ASTM C 989, “Ground Granulated BlastFurnace Slag for Use in Concrete

Mortars.”

AASHTO2 M 302, “Ground Granulated

Blast Furnace Slag for Use in Concrete

and Mortars.”

American Concrete Institute Standard

Practice ACI 226.R1, “Ground Granulated

Blast-Furnace Slag as a Cementitious

Constituent in Concrete.”

ASTM D 4832-95el, “Standard

Test Method for Preparation and

Testing of Controlled Low

Strength Material (CLSM) Test

Cylinders.

ASTM D 5239-92, “Standard

Practice for Characterizing Fly

Ash for Use in Soil Stabilization.”

ASTM D 5971-96, “Standard

Practice for Sampling Freshly

Mixed Controlled Low Strength

Material.”

ASTM D 6103-07, “Standard

Test Method for Flow

Consistency of Controlled Low

Strength Material.”

ASTM D 6023-96, “Standard

Test Method for Unit Weight,

Yield, Cement Content and Air

Content (Gravimetric) of

Controlled Low Strength Material

(CLSM).”

ASTM D 5971-96, “Standard

Practice for Sampling Freshly

Mixed Controlled Low Strength

Material.”

ASTM D 6024-96, “Standard

Test Method for Ball Drop on

Controlled Low Strength Material

(CLSM) to Determine Suitability

for Load Application.”

7

1 ASTM = American Society for Testing and Materials.

2 AASHTO = The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Specifications for Cement, Concrete, Flowable Fill, and Rubber Railroad Grade Crossing Surfaces Containing

Recovered Materials

Cement Specifications Concrete Specifications Flowable Fill Rubber Railroad Grade 

Crossing Surfaces
8

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 e-mail to

order paper copies of documents. Include the requestor’s

name and mailing address on all orders. Address e-mail

to: rcra-docket@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 a.m. to 6 p.m., e.s.t.

❖ 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.

❖ 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.

❖ Environmental Fact Sheet—EPA Guideline for

Purchasing Cement and Concrete Containing Fly

Ash (EPA530-SW-91-086). This 2-page fact sheet provides general information about concrete mixed with

coal fly ash.

❖ Construction Products Containing Recovered

Materials (EPA530-B-99-017). This list identifies

sources of construction products containing recovered

materials.

❖ 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 Web site at

<www.epa.gov/oppt/epp>.

Other Sources of

Information

❖ The American Association of State

Highway and Transportation Officials

(AASHTO). AASHTO publishes concrete and cementmixing specifications, which are listed in this fact sheet

and in RMAN I. Contact: AASHTO, 444 North Capitol

Street, NW., Suite 249, Washington, DC 20001. Phone:

202 624-5800. Fax: 202 624-5806. The Publications Sales

Office’s mailing address is P.O. Box 96716, Washington,

DC 20090-6716. Phone: 888 227-4860. Fax: 800 525-

5562. Web site: www.aashto.org

❖ American Concrete Institute (ACI). ACI publishes a

standard for concrete containing GGBF slag and offers

several relevant publications. Contact: ACI, P.O. Box

9094, Farmington Hills, MI 48333. Phone: 248 848-

3700. Web site: www.aci-int.org

❖ American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

ASTM publishes standards for mixing cement and concrete. Contact: ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West

Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. Phone: 610 832-9585.

Fax: 610 832-9555. Web site: www.astm.org

❖ 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. Publications

include fact sheets on insulation and coal fly ash, and

Building for Tomorrow: Buy Recycled Guidebook for the

Commercial Construction Industry. Public purchasing

entities can join free of charge. 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/brba/index.htm 

E-mail: brbainfo@nrc-recycle.org
9

❖ Directory of Recycled-Content Building and

Construction Products. This regional directory

includes 500 construction and building products manufactured partially or totally from recycled materials.

Contact: Clean Washington Center, First Interstate

Center, 999 Third Avenue, Suite 1060, Seattle, WA

98104. Phone: 206 464-7040. Fax: 206 464-6902. 

Web site: www.cwc.org

❖ Environmental Building News. This monthly newsletter

on environmentally responsible design and construction

includes articles on new products and materials, technologies, and construction methods. Contact: 122 Birge Street,

Suite 30, Brattleboro, VT 05301. Phone: 802 257-7300. 

Fax: 802 257-7304. Web site: www.ebuild.com

❖ Environmental Resource Guide. Published by the

American Institute of Architects (AIA), this 1,100-page

guide presents comprehensive lifecycle information on

building materials and applications, including products

and recyclability. Contact AIA at 1735 New York Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20006-5292. Phone: 

800 225-5945. Price: $221 ($198.90 for members). 

Web site: www.aiaonline.com

❖ Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). With assistance from the American Coal Ash Association, Inc.,

FHWA published Fly Ash Facts for Highway Engineers

(FHWA-SA-94-081), August 1995. It also maintains a

database of state specifications for using coal fly ash

and GGBF slag. Contact: Gary Crawford, Federal

Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. Phone: 202 366-1286. 

Web site: www.fhwa.dot.gov

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

publishes various supply catalogs, guides, and schedules for recycled-content products available through the

Federal Supply Service. Copies of Carpet, Carpet Tiles,

and Carpet Cushion, Multiple Award Schedule FSS72-IA are also available. 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. GSA also offers recycled content paint through requisition and processing. For more

information on how to purchase this product, contact the

GSA Paint and Chemical Commodity Center at 

800 241-7246. 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>.

❖ 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 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>.

❖Guide to Recycled Products: Building and

Construction. This guide is published by Metro, a

regional government agency serving the Portland,

Oregon, area, but may be useful for procurement officials in other areas of the country. It is designed to help

locate hundreds of recycled-content building products.

Contact: Metro, 600 NE. Grand Avenue, Portland, OR

97232. Phone: 503 234-3000. Fax: 503 797-1851. 

Web site: www.metro-region.org

❖ A Guide to Resource Efficient Building Elements. In

addition to tips on efficient design and job-site recycling,

this guide lists several manufacturers that make products using recovered materials. Contact: Center for

Resourceful Building Technology, P.O. Box 100,

Missoula, MT 59806. Phone: 406 549-7678. 

Fax: 406 549-4100.

❖ The Harris Directory of Recycling and Pollution

Preventing Materials for Home, Office, and Garden.

This computer database for MacIntosh and Windows

lists construction products made with recovered materials. Users can search for topics using either a key word

search or by consulting an accompanying 24-page

handbook. Contact B.J. Harris, P.O. Box 2024, Candler,

NC 28715. Phone: 888 844-0337. 

Web site: www.harrisdirectory.com

❖ National Institute of Governmental Purchasing

(NIGP). NIGP maintains a library of product specifications and sample bid documents for both virgin- and

recycled-content products, including concrete. It also

offers procurement training workshops for members. 

For more information, contact Fuad Abu-Taleb, 151

Spring Street, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20170. Phone: 

703 736-8900, Ext. 241. Fax: 703 736-9644.
10

How Can I Get More Information? (Continued)

❖ Official Recycled Products Guide. This directory lists

more than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors of recycled-content products. 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. For more information, call the

American Plastics Council (APC), 1801 K Street, NW.,

Suite 701-L, Washington, DC 20006. Phone: 

202 974-5400. Fax: 202 296-7119. 

Web site: www.plasticsresource.com

❖ Resource Guide to Recycled Construction Products.

This recycled construction products list is available from

the Los Angeles Integrated Solid Waste Management

Office, 433 South Spring Street, Suite 500, Los Angeles,

CA 90013. Phone: 213 847-1444.

❖ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). USACE has

specifications for cement containing coal fly ash.

Contact Greg Hughes, USACE, 20 Massachusetts

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20314. 

Phone: 202 761-4140. Fax: 202 761-4139. 

Web site: www.usace.army.mil

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.

❖ 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 recycled-content 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. It also provides a reference

library and a newsletter. Managed by the publisher of

the Official Recycled Products Guide, the product

database is considered to be the largest of its kind. 

❖ Environmental Building News: <www.ebuild.com/>.

This site is the online version of Environmental Building

News, the leading periodical on environmentally sustainable design and construction. It contains articles,

reviews, and news stories on energy-efficient, resourceefficient, and healthy building practices.

❖ Oikos Green Building Source: <oikos.com>. This site

contains a catalog of books, videos, and software for

sustainable construction; a searchable database of companies that feature products with environmental

attributes; and links to other green building sites.
11

❖ The Fedmarket Procurement Assistance

Jumpstation: <www.www.fedmarket.com/

sales_resources/bids/federal.html>. This site contains

links to many sites containing procurement information.

❖ Sustainable Building Sources: <www.greenbuilder.

com/general/buildingsources.html>. This site contains

green building news articles, conference announcements, links to other green building sites, and the

Sustainable Building Sourcebook.

In addition, contact your state solid waste management

agency for information about local and regional 

businesses that produce or distribute 

recycled-content products.
1EPA

$300Penalty for Private UseOfficial Business Washington, DC 204601200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.Ariel Rios Building(5306W)Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States