Comprehensive Procurement Guideline V for Procurement of Products Containing Recovered Materials

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) today is proposing an amendment to the May 1, 1995, Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Executive Order "Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition." Specifically, EPA is proposing to revise the current compost designation to include compost made from manure or biosolids, and designate fertilizers made from recovered organic materials. EPA is also proposing to consolidate all compost designations under one item called "compost made from recovered organic materials." EPA is required to designate items that are or can be made with recovered materials and to recommend practices that procuring agencies can use to procure designated items. Once EPA designates an item, any procuring agency that uses appropriated federal funds to procure that item must purchase the item containing the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable. Today's proposed action will use government purchasing power to stimulate the use of these materials in the manufacture of new products, thereby fostering markets for materials recovered from solid waste.