Audience-Specific Web Resources

• Office of the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer (OSE). Information on federal buy recycled efforts. The OSE recently issued a Model Agency Affirmative Procurement Plan that Federal agencies can use in developing an Affirmative Procurement Plan for the acquisition of United States Environmental Protection Agency-designated recycled-content products. The model also contains suggested elements for a highly aggressive plan addressing waste prevention, recycling, and other provisions of Executive Order 13101, “Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition.” The plan may be expanded to include the acquisition of other “green” products, such as energy-efficient or environmentally preferable products. The model plan and Executive Order 13101 are available on the web site.
• United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
  • Buy Recycled Questions and Answers
  • Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG). You’ll find all you need to know about the CPG and USEPA’s Recovered Materials Advisory Notices (RMAN), which recommend recycled-content levels for CPG items. You’ll also find recycled-content product fact sheets, news, and events.
  • Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. Provides general information for policy an

State of California: State Agencies, Contractors, and Service Providers

According to Public Contract Code 12203(d): Each state agency shall require the businesses with whom it contracts to use, to the maximum extent economically feasible in the performance of the contract work, recycled products. All products purchased regardless of how the products were purchased, e.g., interagency agreement, statewide contract, contractor’s purchase, etc., whether or not the products are RCPs, must be included in the Agencies State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign Annual Report. CalRecycle’s Recycled-Content Product Manufacturers (RCPM) directory showcases innovative recycled-content products made by California manufacturers who use recycled waste as a feedstock and may be SABRC compliant.

• California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is one of six agencies under the umbrella of CalEPA.
  • CalRecycle State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign Manual and Tools. Various resources and tools State agencies can use to implement a successful State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign (SABRC) program.
• Department of General Services (DGS). DGS is heavily involved in the State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign (SABRC) and also shares in CalRecycle’s responsibilities for implementation of the SABRC.
  • DGS Procurement Division has contracts for recycled content products (RCP):
    • Statewide contracts
    • California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) contracts
  • DGS Surplus Property Programs. Still usable state-owned surplus property is a significant asset. State surplus property programs ensure that the state extends the useful life of and realizes the maximum benefits from state-owned property:
    • State Surplus Personal Property Reutilization Program
    • Surplus property for schools
    • Public Auction Services

California Local Government

• Alameda County. Alameda’s Waste Management Authority and Source Reduction and Recycling Board offers business assistance in the areas of waste prevention, RCP market development, technical assistance, and public education.
• City of Los Angeles has adopted an EPP policy and encourages the use of the DCG Catalog and an EPP Checklist for product evaluation.
• The City of Santa Monica has a sustainable procurement policy.
• San Mateo County has a buy green search.
• I Love a Clean San Diego has buy green tips.
• Los Angeles County has buy green tips.
• Sonoma County has green procurement tips.
• The City of Santa Monica has a sustainable procurement policy.
• Ventura County Solid Waste Management has buy green tips.

Other States

• State by State Mandates on the purchase of recycled content paper.
• Buy Recycled Contacts in Other States. U.S.EPA’s WasteWise Helpline (800 EPA-WISE) can refer you to a contact in your state. They also have information on a number of state directories.
• Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Their site offers guidance on purchasing recycled-content products.
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Program
• North Carolina’s Environmentally Preferable Procurement Program
• The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality provides resources for buying recycled, such as environmentally preferrable purchasing.

Other Local Governments

• City of Seattle, Office of Sustainability and Environment has a key initiative outlining how everyday purchasing choices have a carbon footprint that we can work to reduce.
• City of Lincoln, Nebraska encourages closing the loop by buying recycled products. 

Educational Institutions

• National Wildlife Federation, Campus Ecology Program. This program assists colleges and universities with implementing “greening projects” related to purchasing, energy, transportation, landscaping, and more.

• University of California Systems: Sustainability Programs and Practices and UC Davis teaches Buy Smart.

• Stanford University encourages buying recycled products to close the loop.

Private Sector

• The Alliance for Environmental Innovation works with private companies to implement innovative environmental strategies. Its project areas include paper and packaging, vehicle emissions, and formulated products.
• Private Sector Pioneers: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
• IBM makes the case for Sustainable “Green” Procurement.
• Warner Bros. Entertainment corporate responsibility: Procurement.

For more information contact: Buy Recycled, buyrecycled@calrecycle.ca.gov