Ten years ago, very little recycled-content printing and writing paper existed. Now, it’s

readily available, along with recycledcontent newsprint, paper towels, and

corrugated packaging—and at higher

quality and more competitive prices

than ever before. That’s in part due to

government initiatives since

1988, when the U.S.

Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) issued the

Procurement Guideline for

Paper and Paper Products

Containing Recovered

Materials. The 1988 paper

guideline’s buy-recycled

requirements are now part of

EPA’s Comprehensive

Procurement Guidelines

(CPG).

To make it easier to buy

recycled, the EPA updates

the CPG every 2 years.

Through the CPG, EPA designates items that must contain recycled materials when

purchased with appropriated

federal funds by federal,

state, and local agencies, or

by government contractors.

Among these items, EPA has designated 5 types of paper products made

from recovered materials. 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 these items.

Why Buy Recycled?

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. 

Buying recycled products results in

many environmental benefits. It supports local recycling programs by creating markets for the collected

materials that are processed and used

to manufacture new products. This

creates jobs and helps strengthen the

economy; conserves natural

resources; saves energy; and reduces

solid waste, air and water pollutants,

and greenhouse gases that contribute

to global warming. 

Buy-Recycled Series

PAPER PRODUCTS

2004

Buying recycled products...

...conserves natural resources

...saves energy

...reduces solid waste

...reduces air and water pollutants

...reduces greenhouse gases

...creates new jobs

CPG

COMPREHENSIVE

PROCUREMENT

GUIDELINES

Solid Waste and Emergency 

Response (5305W)

Washington, DC 20460

EPA-530-F-04-015

www.epa.gov/osw

May 2004
The Resource Conservation and Recovery

Act requires procuring agencies to buy

recycled-content products designated by

EPA in the CPG. Issued in May 1995, the first

CPG designated 19 new products and incorporated five previously designated items (including paper and paper products) in eight product

categories. Paper RMAN I was published in

May 1996. Paper RMAN II,which superceded

the previous Paper RMAN, was published in

June 1998. The first CPG update (CPG II) was

published in November 1997. The second CPG

update (CPG III) was published in January

2000, and the third CPG update (CPG IV) was

published in April 2004. No new paper products were designated in any of the updates.

Procuring agencies include all federal agencies,

and any state or local government agencies or

government contractors that use 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. Executive Order 13101 and the

Federal Acquisition Regulation also call for an

increase in the federal government’s use of

recycled-content and environmentally preferable products.

Once any new items are designated in a published CPG update, an agency has 1 year to

develop an affirmative procurement program

(or revise an existing one) to include these new

items. By June 22, 1989, agencies were

required to develop affirmative procurement

programs to incorporate buy-recycled requirements for paper and paper products. Since

CPG IV designates no new paper products,

agencies are not required to revise this portion

of their affirmative procurement program.

The CPG acknowledges 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 recycledcontent item does not meet the agency’s reasonable performance specifications.

PAPER PRODUCTS

PAGE 2

What is CPG?
PAPER PRODUCTS

PAGE 3

Key Terms

Before buying recycled-content paper products meeting EPA’s recommendations, you’ll need to understand some important terms.

Postconsumer fiber:

• Is the paper recovered in our homes and offices.

• Does not include newsstand returns and printers’ overruns.

Recovered fiber:

• Includes scrap generated at mills after the end of the papermaking process; converting and printing

scrap; newsstand returns and printers’ overruns; obsolete inventory of mills, printers, and others;

damaged stock; and postconsumer fiber.

• Is not waste. EPA has replaced the term waste paper used in the 1988 guidelines with recovered fiber,

to acknowledge that this material is a valuable resource.

• Must be repulped. Paper cannot simply be re-cut or repackaged to count as recovered-content paper

• Does not include forest residues such as sawdust and wood chips from forestry operations.

Mill broke:

• Is scrap generated in a mill prior to the completion of the papermaking process.

• EPA recommends that you allow mills to count the recycled-content portion of mill broke. You

should not count the nonrecycled-content portion, however.

The Paper Products RMAN II recommends recycled-content levels that you can look for when

purchasing paper products, as shown in the

table on the following pages. Use EPA’s RMAN recommendations as a starting point. The recommendations

are based on market research used to identify recycledcontent products that are commercially available. The

RMANs also provide other purchasing guidance. Please

refer to <www.epa.gov/cpg/products.htm> for more

information on individual products.

Rather than specifying just one level of recycled

content, the RMAN recommends ranges for many

paper products, which reflect what is currently

available in the United States. The recycled content

of paper products varies; therefore, you should contact local paper mills or merchants to determine

product availability. Try to purchase paper containing the highest content that is available to you.

When buying paper other than printing and writing

paper, specify that you want paper “containing X

percent recovered fiber, including Y percent postconsumer fiber.” (For most printing and writing

papers, you can simply say you’re looking for 30

percent postconsumer content.) 

In addition, make sure you measure recovered and

postconsumer fiber content as a percentage of the

weight of all fiber in the paper, not as a percentage

of the total weight of the sheet. (The total weight

also includes the weight of dyes, fillers, and water

used in the manufacturing process.)

Access EPA’s online recycled-content products

database by going to <www.epa.gov/cpg> and selecting “Supplier Database.” See the last section of this

fact sheet for other helpful resources.

How Do I Purchase Recycled- Content Paper Products?
PAPER PRODUCTS

PAGE 4

EPA’s Recommended Content Levels for Paper Products

ITEM NOTES POSTCONSUMER TOTAL

RECOVERED RECOVERED

FIBER FIBER

Printing and Writing Papers

Reprographic Business papers such as bond, electrostatic, 30% 30%

copy, mimeo, duplicator, and reproduction

Offset Used for book publishing, commercial printing 30% 30%

direct mail, technical documents, and manuals

Tablet Office paper such as note pads and notebooks 30% 30%

Forms Bond Bond type papers used for business forms such 30% 30%

as continuous, cash register, sales book, unit

sets, and computer printout, excluding

carbonless

Envelope Wove 30% 30%

Kraft, white, and colored (including manilla) 10-20% 10-20%

Kraft, unbleached 10% 10%

Excludes custom envelopes

Cotton Fiber High-quality papers used for stationary, 30% 30%

invitations, currency, ledgers, maps, and

other specialty items

Text and Premium papers used for cover stock, books 30% 30%

Cover and stationary and matching envelopes

Supercalendered Groundwood paper used for advertising and 10% 10%

mail order inserts, catalogs, and some magazines

Machine Groundwood paper used in magazines 10% 10%

Finished and catalogs

Groundwood

Papeteries Used for invitations and greeting cards 30% 30%

Check Safety Used in the manufacture of commercial 10% 10%

and government checks

Coated Used for annual reports, posters, brochures, and 10% 10%

magazines. Have gloss, dull, or matte finishes

Carbonless Used for multiple-impact copy forms 30% 30%

File Folders Manilla or colored 30% 30%

Dyed Filing Used for multicolored hanging folders and 20% 20-50%

Products wallet files

Index and Card Used for index cards and postcards 20% 50%

Stock
PAPER PRODUCTS

PAGE 5

ITEM NOTES POSTCONSUMER TOTAL

RECOVERED RECOVERED

FIBER FIBER

Pressboard High-strength paperboard used in binders and 50% 20%

report covers

Tags and Used for toll and lottery tickets, licences, 20% 20-50%

Tickets and identification and tabulating cards

Newsprint

Newsprint Groundwood paper used in newspapers 20-85% 20-100%

Commercial Sanitary Tissue Products

Bathroom Tissue Used in rolls or sheets 20-60% 20-100%

Paper Towels Used rolls or sheets 40-60% 40-100%

Paper Napkins Used in food service applications 30-60% 30-100%

Facial Tissue Used for personal care 10-15% 10-100%

General-purpose Used in cleaning and wiping applications 40% 40-100%

Industrial Wipers

Paperboard and Packaging Products

Corrugated Used for packaging and shipping a variety 

Containers of goods

(<300 psi) 25-50% 25-50%

(300 psi) 25-30% 25-30%

Solid Fiber Used for specialized packaging needs such 40% 40%

Boxes dynamite packaging and army ration boxes

Folding Cartons Used to package a wide variety of foods, 40-80% 100%

household products, cosmetics, 

pharmaceuticals, detergent, and hardware

Industrial Used to create tubes, cores, cans, and drums 45-100% 100%

Paperboard

Miscellaneous Includes “chipboard” pad backings, book covers 75-100% 90-100%

covered binders, mailing tubes, game boards,

and puzzles

Padded Mailers Made from Kraft paper that is usually brown 5-15% 5-15%

but can be bleached white

Carrierboard A type of folding carton designed for multipack 10-15% 10-100%

beverage cartons

Brown Papers Used for bags and wrapping paper 5-20% 5-40%

Miscellaneous Paper Products

Tray Liners Used to line food service trays. Often contain 50-75% 100%

printed information
PAPER PRODUCTS

PAGE 6

Paper Buying Tips

To make it even easier to buy recycled-content paper

products, EPA offers the following purchasing tips for the

various paper product categories outlined in the RMAN.

Printing and writing papers comprise one of the largest

categories of paper and paper products. Examples include

stationery, computer printout paper, note pads, copier

paper, and offset paper. Printing and writing papers can

be uncoated or coated.

When buying printing and writing paper, remember to:

■ Work with your printer. Different papers exhibit differences in performance and printability. Some printers might first want to test certain papers with a

particular ink. Printers also can help you select papers

based on how they will be used (i.e., whether they will

be folded, die-cut, or made into self-mailers).

■ Work with your graphic designer. Some papers are

better than others for certain design needs. Make

sure both the designer and printer agree that the

paper you choose will meet your expectations.

■ Consider the environmental ramifications of your

purchasing decisions. Papers with certain characteristics, such as deep colors, coatings, or groundwood

content, might not be recyclable in your existing

office paper recycling program or might require

changes to the program. Consider the effects of your

paper purchases before deciding to purchase a specific paper.

Newsprint is a type of groundwood paper generally used

to print newspapers. Recycled-content newsprint is

usually manufactured from fiber recovered from old

newspapers and magazines. The federal government

uses newsprint for printing the Federal Register,

Congressional Record, and other publications.

When purchasing newsprint, consider these helpful

hints:

• Pay attention to newsprint’s basis weight. Basis

weight is the weight in pounds of a ream of paper

cut to a specified size. Different weights hold up

better in different presses. Recycled-content

newsprint ranging from 25 to 32 pounds generally

performs well. The U.S. Government Printing Office

specifies 28 pound recycled-content newsprint. 

• Consider your requirements for the newsprint you’re

buying. Recycled-content newsprint manufacturers

are making products that meet their clients’ performance requirements (e.g., print-ability, brightness,

cleanliness, and opacity).

• Determine whether newsprint is recyclable in your

existing recycling program. Some office paper recycling programs do not accept groundwood papers

such as newsprint; find out whether yours does

before you buy newsprint. 

Sanitary tissue products include bathroom and facial tissue, paper towels, napkins, and general-purpose industrial wipers. When purchasing these products remember

these tips:

• Avoid misconceptions about softness, absorbency,

and strength. Some recycled-content sanitary tissue

products are softer, stronger, and more absorbent

than others. Consider your aesthetic and functional

requirements for tissue products before purchasing a

specific product.

• Remember to review your janitorial supply contracts

because commercial tissue products are often purchased through contractors. Make sure your supply

contracts specify recycled-content, not virgin, products.

• When changing brands, consider other factors that

could influence your purchasing decision. When

switching from sheet to roll paper towels, for example, you might incur costs to replace dispensers or

fixtures if such costs are not borne by the supplier.

Paperboard and packaging is a broad category of paper

products that includes corrugated containers, folding cartons, book and report covers, mailing tubes, video cassette boxes, paper bags, and wrapping paper. They can be

manufactured with a wide variety of recovered fibers

including old newspapers, old corrugated containers,

mixed papers, and sorted white office paper. In fact,

paperboard mills use more recovered fiber than any other

segment of the paper industry.

When purchasing recycled-content paperboard and packaging consider these tips:

• Remember, you can print on recycled boxes, not just

on virgin, bleached boxes.

• Be aware that you can use recycled boxes in food

applications and still meet Food and Drug

Administration requirements.
PAPER PRODUCTS

PAGE 7

Information Available 

From EPA

This fact sheet and the following publications on

buying recycled-content products can be accessed

in electronic format on the Internet. 

■ EPA Expands Comprehensive Procurement

Guideline (CPG). This fact sheet provides general

information about the CPG and the development of

affirmative procurement programs. See

<www.epa.gov/cpg/pdf/cpg-fs.pdf>.

■ 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, and Paper

Products RMAN I (60 FR 26986/EPA530-Z-96-005),

May 29, 1996. 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, and

the Paper Products RMAN II (63 FR 31214), June 8,

1998. FR notices promulgating CPG III (65 FR 3070)

and RMAN III (65 FR 3082), January 19, 2000. FR

notices promulgating CPG IV (69 FR 24028) and

RMAN IV (69 FR 24039), April 30, 2004. See

<www.epa.gov/cpg/backgrnd.htm>.

Other Sources of

Information

■ U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). GSA’s

Environmental Products Guide contains more than

1,500 paper and paper products containing recovered

materials. To view an electronic version of the

guide, visit <www.gsa.gov/attachments/GSA_PUBLICATIONS/pub/epsg2002_3_1.pdf>.

■ U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO provides a variety of recycled-content printing papers to

federal agencies. To view federal government paper

specification standards see the GPO Web site at

<www.access.gpo.gov/qualitycontrol/paperspecs/

index.html>. For more information about papers

available from GPO, contact the Superintendent of

Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,

Washington, DC 20402. Phone: 202 512-1800 or 866

512-1800 (toll free). Fax: 202 512-2250 or 

877 471-3258.

■ The Official Recycled Products Guide. This directory lists more than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors of recycled-content products. For more

information, contact the Recycling Data

Management Corp., P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY

13669. Phone: 800 267-0707.

How Do I Get More Information?