2000 Buy-Recycled Series

Vehicular Products

United States 

Environmental Protection 

Agency

EPA530-F-00-016

April 2000

www.epa.gov/cpg

Solid Waste

and Emergency Response

(5306W)

I

f you’re a fleet manager, buying recycled products can take you a long way

down the road toward protecting the

environment and saving resources. Costeffective, reliable, and high-quality recycledcontent vehicular products, such as

re-refined oil, retread tires, and recycled engine coolants, are being

used with success by many government agencies nationwide. 

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 vehicular products are among

these items. EPA’s research shows that the items designated in the

CPG are safe, 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.

You might be unfamiliar with buying re-refined oil, retreaded

tires, or recycled engine coolant, but studies and experience show

that these products can meet or exceed your quality standards.

What’s more, buying recycled can cut your expenses while 

reducing solid waste and providing markets for recyclable materials

collected nationwide.

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.
2

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

(RCRA) 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 and incorporated five previously designated items

(including re-refined oil and retread tires)

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, but designated no new

vehicular products. A second CPG

update (CPG III) was published in

January 2000, but it also designated no

new vehicular products. This fact sheet

updates the information provided in the

1997 Buy-Recycled Series.

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 re-refined oil, retread tires, and engine

coolants. 

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.

What Is The CPG?

The CPG

requires 

federal 

agencies to

buy items

made from 

recovered

materials.
3

How Do I Purchase Recycled-Content Vehicular Products?

Vehicular Product Recommendations

Re-Refined Oil Use 25 percent or more re-refined oil base stock for 

engine lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, and gear oils. 

Retread Tires Purchase retread tires or tire retreading services for 

vehicular (highway) tires to the maximum extent feasible.

Engine Coolants Reclaim engine coolants on site or contract for offsite 

reclamation services. Also, request reclaimed engine 

coolant when having vehicles serviced at commercial 

service centers and buy it when making direct purchases. 

EPA’s Recommendations for Purchasing Vehicular Products

EPA issues purchasing guidance in RMANs, which are

designed to make it as easy as

possible to buy the designated items.

The RMANs recommend recycledcontent levels to look for when purchasing vehicular products, as shown

in the chart below. 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 “Vehicular Products Containing

Recovered Materials” for sources of

the designated vehicular items. See

the last section of this fact sheet for

this and other helpful resources.

The RMAN 

recommends

recycledcontent ranges

at which the

designated items

are generally

available in the

marketplace. 
4

Myths and Facts About Recycled-Content Vehicular Products

MYTH: Re-refined lubricating oil is inferior to new

lubricating oil.

FACT: Re-refined oil is subject to the same stringent

refining, compounding, and performance standards as

virgin oil. Extensive laboratory testing and field studies conducted by the National Institute of Standards

and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of

Standards), the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of

Energy, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and EPA concluded re-refined oil is equivalent to virgin oil, passes all prescribed tests, and can even outperform

virgin oil. The American Petroleum Institute (API)

has licensed qualified re-refined oil products, which

display the API starburst and/or donut symbol. 

MYTH: Using re-refined oil voids manufacturers’ 

warranties. 

FACT: All three major U.S. automobile manufacturers

(i.e., Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) now recognize that re-refined oil meets the performance criteria

specified in their warranties. Each has issued a 

written statement explaining that the use of re-refined

oil will not void warranties. Warranty requirements

are based on performance criteria and not on the 

origin of the base oil. As long as the purchased oil

meets the warranty requirements, the warranty must

be honored. 

People are often reluctant to try new technologies. Recycled-content products are no exception. Out-of-date and incorrect information

about the uses and benefits of recycled-content products lead people to believe that they do not work as

well as virgin products. Several agencies using

recovered-content products, however, have proven

that these products work well and that they are costeffective. Some of the common myths about recycledcontent vehicular products are dispelled below. At

the end of this fact sheet, you can find an extensive

list of additional resources for more information.

Re-Refined Oil

Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR) initiated

a progressive program called “Closed-Loop.” When

customers order re-refined oil, the vendor will pick

up their used oil when fulfilling the order. The collected oil goes to a re-refiner for recycling, completing the recycling loop. Not only does this program

eliminate the administrative burden of managing a

separate contract for used oil disposal, it also provides environmental benefits and saves customers

money. DSCR offers both 10W30 and 15W40 grades

in accordance with a Commercial Item Description,

and 15W40, 30, and 40 weight grades, in accordance with Military Specification Mil-L-2104. The

oils have been tested and are API approved. This

program makes it even easier to maximize the recycling of used oil and will assist agencies in adhering

to Executive Order 13101. For more information,

contact Jim Fazzio of DSCR at 804 279-4908.

USPS is using re-refined oil-based lubricants in

more than 100,000 vehicles (more than half its

fleet). USPS also implemented a closed loop recycling program, whereby its used oil is collected, rerefined, and sold back to the service. After

numerous vehicle miles, chemical analyses of rerefined and virgin oil samples taken from USPS

vehicles showed that using re-refined oil was no different than using virgin oil-based lubricants. For

more information, contact Richard Harris of USPS at

202 268-3576.

The Santa Ana, California, USPS district uses a

closed loop system for re-refining used oil. In its

fleet of nearly 4,500 vehicles, the district uses more

than 22,000 quarts of motor oil per year and saves

more than $1,300 each year by re-refining its used

oil. For more information, contact Jon Martin of

USPS at 714 842-2528.

CASE STUDY: U.S. Postal Service CASE STUDY: U. S. Department of Defense 
5

MYTH: Retreads are less safe than new tires. 

FACT: Statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of

Transportation show that nearly all tires involved in

any tire-related accidents were underinflated or bald.

Properly maintained tires, both new and retreaded,

do not cause accidents. Retread tires have been safely

used on school buses, trucks, cars, fire engines, and

other emergency vehicles for years. 

MYTH: Retreads have a higher failure rate than 

new tires. 

FACT: Rubber on the road comes from both new tires

and retread tires, primarily from truck tires that are

overloaded, underinflated, or otherwise abused. New

or retread tire failures can be greatly reduced by 

following all the rules of good maintenance, including proper mating with regard to diameter and 

tread depth and design, and maintaining proper 

air pressure. 

MYTH: Recycled engine coolant is inferior to new

engine coolant. 

FACT: Testing shows recycled coolant meets nationally

recognized performance specifications for new

coolant, such as those established by the American

Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the

Society of Automotive Engineers. The recycling process reduces the chlorides that come from hard water

so that recycled antifreeze might actually be purer

than virgin coolant.

After noticing poor tire performance in new tires,

the fleet inspector at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, tested

20 retread tires in 1990. Pleased with the results, he

purchased 60 retread tires the following year and

about 600 retreads in 1995. The fleet inspector

found that retreads provided superior handling and

failed less often than new tires. Beginning in 1995,

retreads also have saved the facility about $20,000

per year. The operation also services approximately

700 vehicles a year with re-refined oil. For more

information, contact Jerry Cooper, U.S. General

Services Administration Fleet Inspector, at 

608 378-3360.

In 1992, USPS operated 179,000 vehicles and

retreaded 50,000 tires. In 1994, the fleet grew to

202,000 vehicles and used 76,000 retreads. USPS

vehicles travel in all kinds of weather on both

paved and unpaved roads. This 52 percent growth

in the number of retreads over 2 years reflects

USPS’s belief that retreads meet their performance

and quality needs. For more information, contact

Richard Harris of USPS at 202 268-3576.

The Southeast area of USPS implemented an onsite

coolant recycling program. Most facilities in the

region made the switch. They reclaim about 7,000

gallons (75 percent) of concentrated coolant each

year, which substantially reduces the amount of

new products purchased. Many postal vehicle maintenance facilities in the Southeast are using commercial vacuum distillation machines for the

recycling process. For more information, contact

Bob Martin of USPS at 901 747-7635.

The USPS Huntington Beach, California, vehicle

maintenance facility uses an in-house extraction

and recovery process for its engine coolants. The

units recover virtually all of the ethylene glycol left

in the spent coolant. Recovering the coolant reduces

total waste stream volume and saves money by

reducing costs for disposal and for purchasing new

coolant. For more information, contact Jon Martin of

the USPS Huntington Beach facility at 

714 842-2528.

Retread Tires

Recycled Engine Coolants

CASE STUDY: Fort McCoy

CASE STUDY: U.S. Postal Service
6

MYTH: Recycled coolant costs more than new coolant. 

FACT: Recycled coolant might cost less than new

coolant if you select the right recycling process for

your shop. You must consider the cost of new

coolant and your current disposal costs and compare

these to the cost of onsite or offsite recycling. 

MYTH: Spent coolants are hazardous waste and those

handling them must follow hazardous waste 

regulations. 

FACT: Spent coolants are not listed by EPA as a hazardous waste. Some older test data indicated used

coolant sometimes had levels of lead requiring 

it to be managed as a hazardous waste. Most new

vehicle radiators are made with aluminum cores and

plastic tanks, so there is less opportunity for lead

contamination of coolant today than in the past.

Still, some states consider coolant to be hazardous.

Contact your state environmental agency for 

further information. 

MYTH: Recycled coolant will void manufacturers’

warranties. 

FACT: Coolant recyclers have worked with automotive

and truck engine original equipment manufacturers

(OEMs) to get their approval on coolant recycling

processes. Check with your recycler for a list of 

OEM approvals. 

Myths and Facts About Recycled-Content Vehicular Products (Continued)

Coolant Recycling

Processes 

The RMAN recommends that procuring

agencies establish a program for engine

coolant reclamation and reuse either on site

or through a service contract. There are three general types of coolant recycling processes: filtration,

distillation, and ion exchange. Since variations

exist among the various processes, check with the

system manufacturer for specifics regarding

coolant produced by the system. 

Filtration is the most common type of coolant

recycling process. It has the lowest initial investment but has high operating costs. Coolants often

contain dissolved solids and filtration systems

often require pre- and post-filter treatment as well. 

Distillation evaporates and recondenses the

coolant. This is a slow process with a high initial

investment, but it requires less operator time and

lower operating costs. Solids and other chemicals

are left behind as a residue that must be managed

according to applicable laws. 

Ion exchange removes solids and other chemicals

from the coolant as it passes through a resin bed.

Periodically, this bed must be regenerated to

remove the buildup. Equipment costs are higher

than most other systems. Operating costs are comparable to filtration systems.
7

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 9:00 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.

❖ Environmental Fact Sheet: Purchasing and Maintaining Retread

Passenger Tires (EPA530-F-95-019), September 1995. This EPA

and GSA fact sheet provides information on waste prevention, 

proper tire maintenance, and tire retreading for fleet managers and

vehicle operators. 

❖ Vehicular Products Containing Recovered Materials (EPA530-B99-008). This list contains sources of vehicular 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—

General 

❖ 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 productspecific guides. 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 

❖ 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 recycled-content 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>.

— Environmental Products Guide. This guide, published by GSA, is

a handy reference companion to the GSA Supply Catalog and

Federal Supply Schedules. It provides information on the acquisition of engine coolant reclamation systems.

— Tires, Pneumatic for Passenger, Light Truck, Medium Truck/Bus,

and Retread Services, Federal Supply Schedule, Group 26,

Part 1. Lists a variety of retread tires available for purchase.

❖ Official Recycled Products Guide. This document is a comprehensive directory of recycled-content products and contains more than

5,000 listings of manufacturers and distributors, including those of rerefined oil, retread tires, and engine coolants. Contact: Recycling Data

Management Corporation, P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY 13669.

Phone: 800 267-0707. Fax: 315 471-3258.

❖ Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE). The OFEE

offers a number of resources, listed below, to help government agencies learn about CPG-designated products. Contact: Office of the

Federal Environmental Executive, Ariel Rios Building, Mail Code

1600S, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Phone:

202 564-1297. Fax: 202 564-1393. Web site: www.ofee.gov

— Closing the Circle News. This newsletter reports on the government’s progress toward an environmentally conscious and friendly

approach to recycling, acquisitions, and procurement. The fall

1995 issue contains an article entitled “OFEE Helps Negotiate an

End to Gridlock on Re-Refined Oil.” 

— Roadmap to Buying Recycled Vehicular Products. This video

was produced by OFEE and the USPS. It highlights availability,

performance, and warranty issues of re-refined oil, retread tires,

and reclaimed engine coolant. It features a message from the

Federal Environmental Executive and insight from experiences of

fleet management personnel from five federal agencies. It is available free of charge. 

— Greening of 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 contains information on

oil and tires, including automobile manufacturers’ warranty-related

statements on re-refined oil. 
How Can I Get More Information? (Continued)

Internet Sites

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.

❖ The Fedmarket Procurement Assistance Jumpstation:

<www.fedmarket.com/sales-resources/bids/federal.html>. This site contains links to many sites containing procurement information.

Other Sources—Re-Refined Oil 

❖ Re-refined and Commercial Motor Oils. This brochure, developed

by the DLA General Supply Center, provides ordering information for a

variety of re-refined oil products, including a new product line that

meets military specifications. For a copy of the brochure, contact Jim

Fazzio, Defense Supply Center Richmond, Attn: DSCR-XA, 8000

Jefferson Davis Highway, Richmond, VA 23297-5762. 

Phone: 800 345-6333 or DSN 695-3855.

❖ Copies of GSA’s guidance on the use of re-refined oil in Interagency

Fleet Management Systems Vehicles can be obtained from Larry

Frisbee, Fleet Management Division, GSA, Washington, DC 20406.

Phone: 703 305-6837. Fax: 703 305-7158. 

Other Sources—Retread Tires

❖ Retread Tire Buyers Guide. This guide lists contact information for all

Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB) member retreaders and tire

dealers in North America and includes the type of retreading available

from each listing. For additional information about tire retreading and

tire repairing, including videos such as The Use of Retreaded Tires

on Government Vehicles, contact TRIB at 900 Weldon Grove, Pacific

Grove, CA 93950. Phone: 408 372-1917; toll free in the United States.

and Canada: 888 473-8732. Fax: 408 372-9210. 

E-mail: retreads@aol.com

❖ International Tire and Rubber Association, Marvin Bozarth,

Executive Director, P.O. Box 37203, Louisville, KY 40233-7203. 

Phone: 800 426-8835. Fax: 502 964-7859.

❖ National Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association, John F. Buettner,

Sr., Director, Tire Retreading Institute, 7601 West Mockingbird Court,

Fairland, IN 46126. Phone: 317 861-9170. Fax: 317 861-9214.

Other Sources—Recovered Engine Coolants

❖ The Society of Automotive Engineers’ paper number 921634, An

Evaluation of Engine Coolant Recycling Technologies, offers information about recovered engine coolants. The paper is available by calling

412 776-4841. 

❖ For information on USPS’ testing and approval of recycled engine

coolant, call Vincent Tung, Mechanical Program Engineer, USPS,

8403 Lee Highway, Merrifield, VA 22082-8101. Phone: 703 280-7052. 

Fax: 703 280-8402.

In addition, contact your state solid waste 

management agency for information about local and

regional businesses that produce or distribute 

recycled-content products.

1EPA

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

(5306W)

Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.

Washington, DC 20460

Official Business 

Penalty for Private Use $300