Chapter 1223 - Appendix A - DOT Affirmative Procurement Program for Use of
Recovered Materials
Preface
Federal agencies are required by Section 6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6962) and Executive Order (EO) 13101, "Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition," to buy certain products containing recovered materials.
This guidance was developed in May 2003 and represents the collaborative efforts of several offices within the DOT Office of the Secretary (OST), Office of Administration. This guidance addresses all 54 Comprehensive Procurement Guideline items designated by EPA. Future updates will be provided as EPA designates additional items.
Questions on compliance and implementation issues in this guidance may be directed to:
Catherine Johnson, OST, M-50 Lenita
Ahmadi, OST, M-60
Catherine.Johnson@ost.dot.gov Lenita.Ahmadi@dot.gov
202-366-0266 202-366-9956
Additional information can be found at the Senior
Procurement Executive’s website: http://www.dot.gov/ost/m60/recycled.
Contents
1.0 | Purpose, Authority, and Applicability | ||
1.1 | Purpose | ||
1.2 | Authority | ||
1.3 | Applicability | ||
2.0 | Responsibility | ||
2.1 | Federal Environmental Executive | ||
2.2 | Agency Environmental Executive | ||
3.0 | Why Reduce Our Waste Stream? | ||
4.0 | Affirmative Procurement Program (APP) | ||
4.1 | Policy | ||
4.2 | General | ||
4.3 | Part 1 – Preference Program for Recycled Content Products | ||
4.3.1 | EPA-Designated Products Purchased by DOT | ||
4.3.2 | Special Requirements | ||
4.3.3 | Future EPA-Designated Items | ||
4.3.4 | Other Recycled Content Products | ||
4.3.5 | Other “Green” Products | ||
4.3.6 | Acquisition Planning | ||
4.3.7 | Recovered Materials Determination | ||
4.3.8 | Justification for Not Buying EPA-Designated Recycled Products | ||
4.3.9 | Simplified Acquisitions/Micro-purchases | ||
4.3.10 | Federal Supply Sources | ||
4.3.11 | Contractors | ||
4.3.12 | Assistance Agreements | ||
4.3.13 | Life-Cycle Cost Analysis | ||
4.4 | Part 2 --Promotion Program | ||
4.5 | Part
3 – Procedures for Vendor Estimation, Certification, and |
||
4.5.1 | Certification | ||
4.5.2 | Estimation | ||
4.5.3 | Verification | ||
4.6 | Part 4 – Annual Review and Monitoring Program | ||
4.6.1 | Data Tracking | ||
4.6.2 | Annual Review | ||
5.0 | Annual Reports | ||
6.0 | Additional Requirements | ||
6.1 | Goals | ||
6.2 | Awards | ||
6.3 | White House Closing the Circle Awards Program | ||
6.4 | Model Facilities | ||
6.5 | Waste Prevention and Recycling Programs | ||
6.5.1 | Waste Prevention Opportunities | ||
6.5.2 | Recycling Programs | ||
Exhibit 1 | Recovered Materials Determination Form (DOT F 4271.1) | ||
Exhibit 2 | Request for Waiver Form (DOT F 4272.1) | ||
Attachment A | Summary of Legislative and Regulatory Requirements | ||
Attachment B | Federal Sources of Recycled Content and Environmentally Preferable Products | ||
Attachment C | EPA-Designated Recycled Content Products | ||
Attachment D | Definitions and Acronyms |
1.0 Purpose, Authority, and Applicability
1.1 Purpose (See EO 13101 Secs.101-103, in Attachment A)
This document formally establishes DOT’s
Affirmative Procurement Plan (APP) for Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)-designated recycled content products and provides agency-wide guidance
for implementing an effective program.
The purpose of Federal affirmative procurement programs is to increase
and expand markets for recovered materials through greater Government
preference and demand for products made with such materials consistent with the
demands of efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Expanding markets will reduce the amount of solid waste requiring
disposal through the purchase and use of products containing recovered
materials.
DOT's APP
ensures items composed of recovered material (also known as recycled content
products) will be purchased to the maximum extent practicable, and is
consistent with EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) and Recovered
Materials Advisory Notices (RMAN). Each
EPA guideline, including recovered material minimum content standards, has been
referenced and incorporated into this APP.
Nothing in this APP shall be used to negate any state or local affirmative procurement requirement more stringent than a similar requirement implemented by the Department's APP.
1.2 Authority
The following documents establish the
requirements for DOT’s APP:
· Section 6002
of the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6962);
·
Executive
Order (EO) 13101, “Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling
and Federal Acquisition”;
·
EPA
CPG and RMAN;
·
Office
of Federal Procurement Policy, Policy Letter 92-4; and
·
The
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
Specific requirements contained in these documents are discussed in greater detail in Attachment A.
1.3 Applicability
Section 6002(a) of RCRA, as amended,
(42 U.S.C. 6962) and EPA's
procurement guidelines apply to all procuring agencies, defined as "any
Federal agency, or any State agency, or agency of a political subdivision of a
State which uses appropriated Federal funds for such procurement, or any person
contracting with any such agency with respect to work performed under such
contract."
·
Section
6002(a) of RCRA, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6962) determines those parties responsible for developing and
implementing an APP and those responsible for APP compliance. DOT as a Federal
agency has developed a comprehensive APP, which shall be implemented by all DOT
program offices, operations offices, sites, and applicable contractors. All Operating Administrations must take steps
to carry out DOT’s comprehensive APP.
·
EPA's
procurement guidelines apply to an agency whose total annual purchases (for
each designated item) exceeded $10,000 in the current fiscal year or exceeded
$10,000 in the previous fiscal year.
Thus, the procurement requirements identified in EPA's guidelines apply
to DOT as a whole and all Operating Administrations, program offices,
operations offices, sites, and applicable contractors shall be responsible for
implementing the procurement requirements outlined in both this document and
EPA's guidelines.
2.0 Responsibility
2.1 Federal Environmental Executive
EO 13101 requires Federal agencies to expand waste prevention and recycling programs, implement affirmative procurement programs for EPA-designated items, and procure environmentally preferable products and services. The EO requires the designation of a Federal Environmental Executive (FEE) to take all actions necessary to ensure agencies comply with the requirements of the EO. The EO also requires the FEE to prepare a biennial report to the President on the actions taken by agencies to comply with the EO. Under EO 13101 and Section 6002 of RCRA, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6962), the FEE and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy submit a biennial report to Congress on actions taken by the Federal agencies to purchase EPA-designated items.
2.2 Agency Environmental Executive
EO 13101 also requires the head of
each major Executive department and major procuring agency to designate an
Agency Environmental Executive (AEE), at a level no lower than the Assistant
Secretary or equivalent, responsible for, among other things:
·
Agency
implementation of the buy-recycled requirements and other requirements of EO
13101;
·
Working
with the FEE and the Task Force in furthering implementation of the EO; and
·
Tracking
the agencies’ purchases of EPA-designated guideline items and reporting
agencies’ purchases of such guidelines items to the FEE.
The Assistant Secretary for Administration is DOT’s AEE.
3.0 Why Reduce Our Waste Stream?
As a Federal agency, DOT’s participation in waste prevention and the procurement of recycled content products contributes to sound waste management practices. In its day-to-day operations, DOT has the opportunity and obligation to be environmentally and energy conscious in its selection and use of needed products and services. This will enhance Departmental credibility and demonstrate DOT's commitment to environmental quality by becoming a model consumer of recycled content and environmentally preferable products and services.
For the nation to fully recognize the benefits of recycling and resource recovery, there must be commercial markets available for products made from recovered materials. When DOT procures products containing such materials, it helps create demand for those products. There also may be direct financial gains to be achieved by DOT and other procuring agencies from the procurement of products containing recovered materials. For example, the dollar value of materials recovered from solid waste has become substantial: $3.6 billion in 1996 and a projected $5.2 billion by 2005. Recovered paper and paperboard account for about one-third of the total in both years. In 1996, the market value of recovered paper and paperboard was 24 percent of the value of all pulp mill shipments. By 1999, the paper industry relied on recovered paper for 36.5 percent of its feedstock.
The extraction and processing of raw materials into manufacturing feedstocks are some of the most energy-intensive activities of industry. Reducing or nearly eliminating the need for these processes, therefore, achieves huge savings in energy. Recycling aluminum cans, for example, saves 95 percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source, bauxite. The amount of energy saved differs by material, but almost all recycling processes achieve significant energy savings compared to virgin material production.
Additionally, efficient use of resources may reduce operating costs. For example, maintenance costs for plastic restroom dividers are less than maintenance costs for dividers made from competing materials.
There are also environmental and financial gains to be achieved on a national level. Promoting waste prevention by purchasing recycled content items can slow the use of virgin material, as well as slow the rate at which the nation's landfills become filled and closed. If organic wastes such as leaves, grass clippings, and paper, are recycled instead of landfilled, we reduce production of methane, a major greenhouse gas. This is especially true for paper since paper takes up roughly one-third of the space in our nation's landfills. Extensive life-cycle analyses find overall emissions to all environmental media to be lower when we use recovered rather than virgin materials. Also, recycling is a highly effective strategy for reducing all the categories of health risks and pollution resulting from virgin material extraction and processing. Federal government procurement and use of recycled content products also can reduce our nation's dependency on imported raw materials.
4.0 Affirmative Procurement Program (APP)
4.1 Policy
It is DOT’s policy to purchase EPA-designated items containing recovered materials to the maximum extent practicable unless written justification is provided for not doing so. DOT’s goal is that 100 percent of purchases of EPA-designated products will contain recovered materials, considering product performance, price, and availability.
4.2 General
For certain
items designated by EPA, Section 6002 of RCRA, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6962) requires procuring agencies to
implement an APP consisting of four elements: (1) a preference program; (2) a
promotion program; (3) procedures for estimation, certification, and
verification; and (4) procedures for annual review and monitoring. Subsections 4.3 - 4.6 describe DOT’s
implementation of each of these elements.
4.3 Part 1. Preference
Program for Recycled Content Products
In accordance
with Section 402(c) of EO 13101, 100 percent of DOT’s purchases of EPA-designated
recycled content products will meet or exceed EPA guideline standards unless
there is a price, performance, or availability justification for not doing so.
4.3.1 EPA-Designated Products Purchased by DOT
DOT's preference program is based on EPA's CPG designations of recycled content products. DOT will give preference to procuring and using such products containing recovered materials versus products made with virgin materials when: (1) such products are available competitively within a reasonable time frame, (2) meet reasonable performance standards, or (3) are available at a reasonable price. Recycled content products will be purchased containing the percentages of recovered materials (recycled content) indicated in EPA’s recommended recovered materials minimum content ranges.
4.3.2 Special Requirements
The following special requirements
apply to recycled content products purchased by the Department:
·
Paper
Products - EO 13101 directs agencies to purchase office and printing papers
containing 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
·
Oil
- EO 13149 directs that, beginning in October 2000, agency fleets must use
re-refined oil unless it is not available or does not meet performance needs.
In addition, EPA recommends that procuring agencies review their procurement practices and eliminate those inhibiting or precluding the use of items containing recovered materials.
4.3.3 Future EPA-Designated Items
RCRA and EO 13101 direct EPA to continue to designate items made from recovered materials, in order to further increase markets for recovered materials. As required by Section 6002 of RCRA, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6962), DOT’s Office of the Senior Procurement Executive (M-60) will incorporate additional items into its APP within one year after new items are designated by EPA.
4.3.4 Other Recycled Content Products
There are thousands of products made with recovered materials. Procurement originators are encouraged to request, procure, and use other products containing recovered materials in addition to those items specified above. Additional recycled content products are available through Federal supply sources and outside vendors.
4.3.5 Other “Green”
Products
The purchase
of other “green” products, such as energy-efficient/energy savings products,
alternative fuel vehicles, water-efficient products, environmentally preferable
products and services, and biobased products is
encouraged.
4.3.6 Acquisition Planning
The buy-recycled requirements shall be considered during the acquisition planning stage if non-Federal supply sources are used as required by EO 13101 and FAR Part 7.103(n).
DOT personnel involved in planning for acquisitions will consider environmental and energy factors from the beginning of acquisition planning in order to save money, increase efficiency, and reduce pollution in procurements. Their actions shall be consistent with the “waste management hierarchy”; reduce, reuse, and recycle, in that order.
4.3.7 Recovered
Materials Determination
Procurement
originators are responsible for defining product specifications, utilizing RMANs, when procuring EPA-designated items from outside
vendors. The procurement originator must
make a written determination certifying that the statement of
work/specifications for the requisition of materials/services specified
complies with RMANs.
The completed determination becomes part of the original contract
file. A copy of the “Recovered Materials
Determination” form is provided in Exhibit 1.
A determination is not required when EPA-designated items containing recovered materials are obtained through GSA's Federal Supply Service or other established Federal supply sources.
4.3.8 Justification for Not Buying EPA-Designated Recycled Content Products
FAR 23.405 requires agencies to
justify, in writing, decisions not to buy recycled content products. The contracting officer must base the
justification on the inability to acquire the product—(1) competitively within
a reasonable period of time; (2) at reasonable prices; or (3) to reasonable
performance standards in the specifications, provided a written determination
by technical or requirements personnel of the performance standard’s
reasonableness is included with the justification. The technical and requirements personnel must
base their determination on National Institute of Standards and Technology
guidelines, if available. Written
justification is not required for purchases below the micro purchase threshold.
The procurement originator shall document the decision not to buy recycled content products. A copy of the “Request for Waiver” form is provided in Exhibit 2. The original copy of the documentation becomes part of the original contract file. The procurement originator is responsible for submitting a copy of the documentation form to the responsible program manager. As required by FAR 23.405(c), the contracting officer shall forward a copy of all waivers to the DOT Environmental Executive within 30 days, after contract award, for annual reporting purposes.
4.3.9 Simplified
Acquisitions/Micro-Purchases
The
requirement to purchase recycled-content CPG items applies to all purchases,
including those at or below the micro-purchase threshold ($2,500). However, written justifications are not
required for not buying recycled content products. DOT shall procure recycled content products
when making purchases at or below the micro-purchases threshold.
EO 13101 requires agencies making micro-purchases to provide guidance regarding purchasing of recycled-content products. DOT has developed a pamphlet on this process for all DOT purchase card holders. Copies of the pamphlet may be obtained from the Office of Transportation and Facilities, Policy Division (M-50).
4.3.10 Federal Supply Sources
Established Federal supply sources,
such as the General Services Administration (GSA), Government Printing Office
(GPO), Javits-Wagner-O’ Day (JWOD) Program, the
Defense General Supply Center (DGSC), and UNICOR are competitive sources for
EPA-designated items and other recycled content products. Procuring recycled content products through these
sources offers the following advantages:
·
Products
have been competitively bid;
·
Products
meet or exceed EPA minimum content standards for recovered materials; and
·
Electronic
catalogs identifying CPG Compliant Products.
These sources also provide an additional service through independent estimation, certification, and verification of EPA-designated items containing recovered materials, thereby reducing overhead costs for procurement originators to track and monitor vendor compliance with affirmative procurement requirements. Information on Federal supply sources of recycled content and environmentally preferable products is contained in Attachment B.
4.3.11 Contractors
The buy recycled requirements apply to contractors when they are purchasing or supplying EPA designated products for use in the performance of a contract. The FAR requires agency contracting officers to insert the clause at 52.211-5, Material Requirements, in all solicitations and contracts for supplies that are not commercial items. The FAR also requires agency contracting officers to insert the clause at 52.223-10, Waste Reduction Program, in all solicitations and contracts for contractor operation of government-owned or leased facilities and all solicitations and contracts for support services at Government-owned or operated facilities.
When contractors are purchasing goods
on behalf of the Federal agencies with appropriated funds, they need detailed
instructions on their responsibilities for implementing the order.
This guidance
applies to all DOT operations and contractors.
Operating Administration’s contracting officers shall ensure that the
FAR clauses at 52.211-5, Material Requirements, and 52.223-10, Waste Reduction
Program, are inserted appropriately in all applicable solicitations and
contracts. Once appropriate provisions
are included in the contract the contractor shall comply with DOT’s APP as if
the contractor were a DOT entity.
Accordingly, the contractor shall be required to monitor and report on
its APP-related procurement activities as well as require its applicable
sub-contractors to comply with DOT’s APP.
It is the responsibility of each Operating Administration to ensure: (1)
appropriate existing contracts are revised to include APP compliance provisions
and (2) appropriate new contracts contain APP compliance provisions.
4.3.12 Assistance
Agreements
State and
local agencies purchasing more than $10,000 worth of an EPA-designated item in
a year, and using some Federal funds for these purchases, are required to
establish an APP for those particular items.
For example, State and local agencies may use some funds from the Federal Highway Grants Program to purchase an EPA designated item. If the agency, or the agency's contractors, purchase more than $10,000 worth of the item in a year and use some Federal funds for these purchases, then they are required to purchase the product containing recovered materials.
4.3.13 Life-Cycle Cost Analysis
OFPP's
Policy Letter 92-4 requires Federal agencies to use life-cycle cost analysis,
wherever feasible and appropriate, to assist in selecting products and
services. Whenever possible, cost shall
be calculated over the life of the item, not just the initial, up-front
cost. When comparing alternative
products, the initial cost of the acquisition, as well as lifetime maintenance
costs, operational costs, etc., must be considered in the analysis. A product having a higher initial cost may
have lower operational cost or a higher resale value and will, therefore, prove
to be a better value and more cost-effective compared to the alternatives.
At this time,
life-cycle cost information for EPA-designated items is not yet available. Until such information is developed and
issued, DOT will rely on minimum content standards or preference standards in
EPA's guidelines.
4.4 Part
2. Promotion Program
Operating
Administrations must actively promote their affirmative procurement
programs. Promotion should be internal
as well as external. Internal promotion
can consist of activities such as wide distribution of copies of the DOT
affirmative procurement policy, articles in newsletters, workshops to educate
employees, and using logos/recycling statements on official stationary and
publications. Most importantly, the
message must reach field operations, procurement officials, supply and
requirements personnel and individuals who purchase material or products with a
government credit card.
DOT’s AEE is responsible for actively
promoting the Agency’s preference for recycled content products. This includes making recycled content
products suppliers aware of DOT’s preference program, educating program
and procurement offices about requirements to procure recycled content
products, and providing DOT employees and contractors with information on
sources of recycled products. DOT will
internally and externally promote its desire to buy recycled products by:
·
Including
explicit recovered materials preference standards for EPA-designated items in
appropriate solicitation and contract language, specifications, drawings, plans,
statements of work, and during contract negotiations.
·
Providing
informational materials, statements, and training to program and procurement
offices regarding DOT’s recovered materials preference program through internal
documents, newsletters, and at appropriate conferences, workshops, and
meetings.
·
Providing
vendor and product information from established Federal supply sources and
outside vendors to program and procurement offices through:
Ø
Electronic media such as
DOT’s procurement office web site and other appropriate systems; and
Ø
Internal documents and
publications; newsletters;
Ø
and at appropriate
conferences, workshops, and meetings.
4.5 Part 3. Procedures for Vendor Estimation, Certification, and Verification
EPA recommends that procuring agencies require vendors to provide an estimate of the total recycled content of their products and certify that the recycled content meets the minimum content standards in the agency’s solicitation documents. EPA also recommends that agencies establish procedures to verify vendor estimates and certifications. Agencies should verify these estimates and certifications through their normal quality control assurance procedures.
Program and procurement offices shall adopt the following procedures:
4.5.1 Certification
Contracting officers shall assure that
vendors (1) provide written certification that their products meet the minimum
content standards in the solicitation documents; (2) maintain copies of
certification documents; and (3) produce copies of the written certification
upon request by DOT.
DOT
contracting officers will insert the provision 52.223-4, “Recovered Material
Certification,” in solicitations that are for, or specify the use of, recovered
materials.
4.5.2 Estimation
DOT
contracting officers will insert the clause, 52.223-9, “Estimate of Percentage
of Recovered Material Content for EPA Designated Products,” in solicitations
and contracts exceeding $100,000 that include the provision, 52.223-4,
“Recovered Material Certification.”
4.5.3 Verification
DOT's AEE shall periodically review vendor certification documents as part of the annual review and monitoring process. Such reviews shall enable DOT's AEE to verify the contractors’ compliance with EO 13101.
4.6 Part 4. Annual Review and Monitoring Program
4.6.1 Data Tracking
DOT’s Office
of Transportation and Facilities (M-50) will actively track DOT’s procurement
of EPA-designated recycled content products.
4.6.2 Annual Review
For each
EPA-designated recycled content product that it purchases, DOT’s Office of
Transportation and Facilities (M-50) will review available data on purchases
from central supply sources, purchases using the government purchase card, and
purchases by contractors in performance of their contracts. M-50 will assess its progress in achieving
the EO 13101 goal of purchasing 100 percent recycled content products. M-50 will determine whether recycled content
products are not being purchased due to lack of training of contracting
officers, purchase card holders, and/or program managers. Training will be provided as
appropriate. M-50 also will determine
whether recycled content products are not being purchased due to price,
performance, or availability constraints.
Whenever performance is the constraint, M-50 will work with vendors and
the White House Task Force on Recycling to identify products that meet the
agency’s needs. Whenever availability is
the constraint, M-50 will increase its promotion program and work with the White
House Task Force on Recycling to identify sources.
5.0 Annual
Reports
Section
6002 of RCRA, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 6962) requires OFPP to report to Congress biennially on agency implementation of
RCRA. EO 13101 requires Executive
Agencies to report progress towards achieving waste prevention and recycling
goals to the FEE. The FEE and OFPP
jointly request purchasing data annually for these reports.
Agencies are encouraged to establish goals to increase the procurement of products made from recovered materials; for solid waste diversion; and for increasing the use of environmentally preferable products and services. DOT will report on its goals, which are established in Section 6 of this plan, to the FEE annually.
DOT’s AEE is responsible for tracking the Department’s purchasing of EPA-designated items and reporting this information to the OFPP and the FEE. DOT’s AEE must also report on DOT's compliance with requirements to review and revise specifications, product descriptions, and standards to enhance the procurement of recycled content and environmentally preferable products. DOT's AEE will justify why designated items have not been purchased, or submit a plan for increasing DOT’s purchases of the EPA-designated item(s).
6.0 Additional Requirements
6.1 Goals
EO 13101, Part 6, requires agencies to
establish goals for (1) waste diversion, (2) increasing the procurement of
recycled content products, and (3) increasing the use of environmentally
preferable products and services.
DOT’s AEE
established the following goals:
Waste
diversion
By
2005, 35% waste diversion
By
2010, 40% waste diversion
Procurement
of recycled content products
100% of the EPA designated products
purchased will meet the standard for recovered material content, given that the
price is competitive, the product is readily available and the performance is
comparable to the performance of products made of virgin materials.
Procurement of environmentally
preferable products and services
Goals for
this initiative will be established after DOT has performed several projects.
As appropriate, DOT’s Office of Transportation and Facilities will report its progress on obtaining the goals identified above to the FEE for the biennial report specified in Section 302(a)(2) of E.0.13101.
6.2 Awards
DOT
has established an annual awards program to recognize successful and innovative
waste prevention, recycling, and affirmative procurement programs throughout
the Department. The program is
administered by DOT's Office of the Secretary, Office of Transportation and
Facilities as part of the environmental policy program. Award winners are eligible to compete in the
White House Closing the Circle Awards Program and other applicable public and
private awards programs.
The Environmental Achievement Awards Program covers all DOT
personnel, and all DOT programs, which directly address recycling, waste
prevention, affirmative procurement and pollution prevention. This includes, but is not limited to,
research and development which lead to pollution prevention, as well as
development and implementation of procedures which reduce the use of
environmentally hazardous systems or materials, increase recycling rates and/or
increase the purchase of environmentally preferable products. Awards will be given for excellence of performance
in the following categories: Waste/Pollution
Prevention, Recycling, Affirmative Procurement, Environmental Preferability, Model Facility Demonstration, Education and
Outreach, Environmental Management Systems and Biobased
Products. Individuals and team awards
will be given in each category.
The
awards program process shall be conducted in a manner that recognizes the
broadest number of people and organizations possible while maintaining the
fairness and integrity of the process.
This awards program uses a self-nomination process.
6.3 White House Closing the Circle Awards Program
The White House Closing the Circle Awards program was developed to recognize Federal employees and their facilities for efforts, which resulted in significant impact on the environment in specific categories under EO 13101. Every year this program continues to seek and recognize outstanding affirmative procurement, waste reduction, and recycling success stories that can set the example for other Federal facilities to follow. The existing categories are: Waste/Pollution Prevention, Recycling, Green Purchasing, Environmental Management Systems, and Sustainable Design/Green Buildings.
Each category recognizes efforts made
by either an individual Federal employee (“individual award”) or teams/groups
of Federal employees (including teams made of Federal and contract employees)
at government facilities (“team/project award”). Each category has subsets for military and
civilian nominations.
Only the winners of the DOT Environmental Achievement Awards will be
submitted to the White House Task Force on Recycling for consideration in the
White House Closing the Circle Awards Program.
6.4 Model
Facilities
Section 704
of EO 13101 requires each agency to establish a model demonstration
program. Agencies are encouraged to
demonstrate and test new and innovative approaches such as incorporating
environmentally preferable and biobased products;
increasing the quantity and types of purchases of products containing recovered
materials; expanding collection programs; implementing source reduction
programs; composting organic materials when feasible; and exploring
public/private partnerships to develop markets for recovered materials. Any DOT facilities that wish to be considered
for this program should contact the DOT’s Office of Transportation and
Facilities.
6.5 Waste Prevention and Recycling Programs
6.5.1 Waste
Prevention Opportunities
·
To
promote waste prevention, DOT strongly encourages the electronic transfer of
documents and double-sided printing and copying.
·
Agency
contracting and program officials shall consider all waste prevention
opportunities such as recyclability, reusability, and
repairability when acquiring products and services.
·
Solicitations
and contracts, exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, shall include
the provision at FAR 52.204-4, “Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Recycled
Paper,” requiring documents to be printed double-sided on recycled paper
containing 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
·
DOT
will utilize electronic acquisition systems to the maximum extent practicable.
·
Contracting Officers will include the provision at FAR 52.223.10, "Waste Reduction
Program,” in all solicitations and contracts for contractor operation of
Government-owned or -leased facilities and in all solicitations and contracts
for support services at Government-owned or operated facilities.
·
DOT
vehicle maintenance facilities shall acquire and use engine coolant recycling
equipment.
·
DOT
vehicle maintenance facilities shall utilize the Defense Supply Center
Richmond’s used oil recycling/re-refined lubricating oil supply contract.
6.5.2 Recycling Programs
All DOT facilities must comply
with local or state recycling requirements.
Each Operating Administration shall implement or maintain waste
prevention and recycling programs at their facilities, where practicable.