BACKGROUND

The 'OFFICIAL' RECYCLED PRODUCTS GUIDE (RPG) was established in March 1989. Now in its 13th year, the RPG Database has expanded steadily each year, always providing the most current and comprehensive information on recycled products, which now includes:

• Over 5,000 recycled product listings as certified by over 700 manufacturers and distributors and over 600 regional merchants
• Over 1,000 different recycled product classifications
• Over 500 pages of cross-referenced information
• Listings updated on a regular basis
• Monthly RPG 'Reporter' newsletter focusing on the Recycled Products Industry, featuring industry events, new product releases, procurement policies and legislation
• TOLL FREE Telephone Support to new listings for all full service subscribers

The RPG 'Condensed Edition' SOURCE GUIDE includes basic information on all companies.

ADVISORY BOARD

The RPG ADVISORY BOARD of government and private sector officials was established in 1989 to assist in "building markets for recyclables." The Board advises on the impact of current issues as they affect the development and direction of the Recycled Products Guide.

PRODUCT LISTINGS

The Guide lists a broad range of product information under such classifications as paper, rubber, plastics, oil, glass, metals, wood, construction materials, packaging, and more. Listings in the guide are free of charge to manufacturers, distributors, converters, and reprocessors of recycled products who certify their recycled content.

RPG Database listings include company name, address, contact, telephone, fax, type of company (manufacturer, distributor, etc.), minimum recycled content, special remarks, and brand names. All listings are cross-referenced alphabetically, geographically, by product type, and by product material.

NEW LISTINGS

The RPG welcomes new listings from all companies who carry recycled products. For further information on how to qualify, call the RPG HOTLINE at 1-330-956-8911.

Companies listing their products in the RPG database must conform to the Consensus Definitions of Recycled Content outlined below. These definitions have formed the basis for classifying products within the database. The term pre-consumer is associated with recovered within the database. If you have any questions regarding these definitions, please call RPG at 1-330-956-8911.

A.	Recycled Content Products must conform with EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)
	This program: Designates 54 broad product categories in which recycled-content products must be chosen over non-recycled alternatives, provided that the recycled products are reasonably available and comparable in performance and price. Applies to Federal agencies, as well as other entities spending Federal funds, including state agencies, municipalities, and private contractors Establishes standards for minimum levels of recovered material and post-consumer content in designated product categories via its Recovered Materials Advisory Notices (RMANs) Was established by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1993 in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Executive Order 12783, and reinforced in 1998 by Executive Order 13101 Is administered by the EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
B.	The Recycled Content in the products listed in The Official 'RECYCLED PRODUCTS GUIDE' must conform with the following definitions:
	CONSENSUS DEFINITIONS OF RECYCLED CONTENT "POSTCONSUMER MATERIAL means only those products generated by a business or consumer which have served their intended end uses, and which have been separated or diverted from solid wastes for the purposes of collection, recycling and disposition" "RECOVERED MATERIAL means materials and byproducts which have been recovered or diverted from solid waste, but such term does not include those materials and by products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original process (such as mill broke or home scrap)." Note: The term to replace secondary waste material is based on the RCRA term and definition, deleting "waste", and including "or diverted" and reference to mill broke and home scrap. "RECOVERED PAPER MATERIALS means paper waste generated after the completion of a papermaking process, such as postconsumer materials, envelope cuttings, bindery trimmings, printing waste, cutting and other converting waste, butt rolls and mill wrappers, obsolete inventories, and rejected unused stock. Recovered paper material, however, shall not include fibrous waste generated during the manufacturing process such as fibers recovered from waste water of trimmings of paper machine rolls (mill broke), of fibrous byproducts of harvesting, extractive or woodcutting processes, or forest residues such as bark." Note: Based on the New Jersey definition but includes the categories "obsolete inventories" and "rejected unused stock" to conform with RCRA. The term "mill broke" was included to clarify the exclusion. * Conform with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act * Conform with the U.S. EPA guidelines.

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