Paper Products

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This includes printing and writing paper, coated paper, tissue papers, etc.

Purchasing information:

Avoid brightness standards or other specifications that would favor a virgin paper product but are not key to the product’s performance.
Make sure your organization establishes procedures to minimize the use of paper. For example, encourage duplex copying, digital document review, electronic signatures, etc.
Prior to choosing which recycled content copier paper to award a contract to, ask the departments or business sections that are high-volume users to test the paper and ensure that it meets their standards.
For publications, let graphic designers and printers know of your interest in recycled content paper and work with them to find the best fit.
Recycled content tissue paper should still be required to meet tensile strength, stretch and absorbency standards, or other standards that are important attributes to the application. (See Green Seal Standards for Sanitary Paper - https://greenseal.org/storage/standards/May2020/GS-1-6.2-Standard-2019.pdf )

Key specifications:

The product shall meet or exceed the federal CPG guidelines for post-consumer recycled content.
For imaging equipment (purchase and lease) contracts, require that the equipment be able to run 100% recycled content paper, even if your specifications for recycled content in paper allow for lower percentages.
For extra environmental considerations, consider including “The product shall be certified by Green Seal and/or UL Ecologo.”

Resources for additional information:

EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for Paper Products - https://www.epa.gov/smm/comprehensive-procurement-guidelines-paper-and-paper-products
EPA’s 2007 Buy Recycled Series: Paper Products - https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/paper.pdf
Conservatree - http://www.conservatree.org/paper/PaperTypes/RecyPpr.shtml
Green Seal - https://www.greenseal.org/
UL Ecologo - https://www.ul.com/resources/ecologo-certification-program

Back to Recycling Means Business

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Use This Guide
Closing the Loop
- What Does That Mean?
- Why Buy Recycled?
- How to Buy Recycled?
Definitions
Resources
- Federal Guidelines for Recycled Content Purchasing
- Environmental Purchasing Guides
- Product & Manufacturer Directories
- Product & Packaging Design Guides
Key Products, Purchasing Information, Sample Specifications
- Paper Products (Printing and Writing Paper, Coated Paper, Sanitary Paper)
- Plastic Products for Administrative Offices (Recycling and Garbage Containers, Trash Bags, Office Products)
- Industrial Products (Totes, Bins, Drums, Plastic Pallets, Crates, Slipsheets, Gaylord Liners, Can Liners, Mats, Sorbents, etc.)
- Packaging
  - Plastic - (Protective, Flexible, Rigid, Food, Labels)
  - Paper – (Paperboard, Corrugated Paper Products)
- Interior Building Products
  - Carpet, Carpet Backing, Other Flooring and Underlayment,
  - Building Insulation, Shower/Restroom Dividers, Latex Paint
- Exterior Building Products
  - Composite Lumber (Decking, Railing, Outdoor Furniture, Landscaping Timbers)
  - Non-pressure Pipe -Drainage or Conduit
- Compost and Hydraulic Mulch
- Other Parks and Recreation Products (Running Track Surfaces, Playground Surfaces)
- Transportation Products (Parking Stops, Traffic Cones, Traffic Barricades, Delineators)
- Vehicular Products (Coolant, Rerefined Oil, Remanufactured Parts, Retreaded Tires)
NC Business Leaders Using Recycled Content and PCR Pioneers
- Business Profiles

NC Statewide Contracts that Include Recycled Content Products
- Also Available to Local Governments in NC!
- Department of Administration Purchase and Contracts Division Listing

This toolkit was developed with support from the EPA Sustainable Materials Management Program.

Comments and Feedback Welcome. E-mail Jan Hardin at jhardin@wrpnc.org