Federal Paper Separation, Recycling, and Waste Source Reduction Act of 1990 - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate guidelines requiring: (1) high-grade paper generated at Federal offices with over 50 full-time employees to be separated at the source, separately collected, and sold for recycling; and (2) all other recyclable paper to be collected and sold for recycling. Authorizes such offices to establish revolving funds and to deposit proceeds from the sale of paper for recycling in the funds. Requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate to ensure that the same actions are taken in the Congress.
Directs the Administrator to establish requirements for procuring agencies described in the Solid Waste Disposal Act for the procurement of paper meeting specified minimum recycled content standards. Exempts procuring agencies from such requirements under specified conditions.
Directs the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate to ensure that paper meeting minimum recycled content standards is used in the Congress. Requires paper purchased under contracts procuring 10,000 pounds or more of paper to meet such standards.
Directs the Public Printer, in providing services to the Congress, to ensure that the Government Printing Office uses paper meeting such standards.
Requires the Administrator to study methods of waste source reduction in Federal procurement practices and to promulgate guidelines for practicable source reduction methods. Directs the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate to ensure that waste source reduction practices are implemented in the Congress.
S 2643 IS 101st CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2643 To improve source separation and recycling of paper products by Federal agencies and the Congress, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 16 (legislative day, APRIL 18), 1990 Mr. BRYAN (for himself and Mr. REID) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To improve source separation and recycling of paper products by Federal agencies and the Congress, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the `Federal Paper Separation, Recycling, and Waste Source Reduction Act of 1990'. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Act-- (1) the term `high grade paper' means letterhead, dry copy papers, miscellaneous business forms, stationery, typing paper, tablet sheets, and computer paper and cards, commonly sold as `white ledger', computer printout', and `tabcard' grade by the wastepaper industry; (2) the term `paper product' means any item manufactured from paper or paperboard and includes corrugated boxes, doilies, envelopes, facial tissue, fiberboard boxes, folding boxboard, industrial wipers, paper napkins, paper towels, tabulating cards, toilet tissues, and such other paper products as the Administrator determines to be appropriate; (3) the term `paper' includes paper and paperboard, including bleached paper, bond paper, book paper, brown paper, coarse paper, computer paper, cotton fiber content paper, cover stock or cover paper, duplicator paper, form bond, ledger paper, manifold business forms, mimeo paper, newsprint, office papers, offset printing paper, printing paper, stationery, tabulating paper, unbleached papers, writing paper, and xerographic/copy paper; and also includes corrugated boxes, boxboard, and other paper and paperboard that the Administrator determines to be appropriate; (4) the term `recyclable paper' means any waste paper, separated at the point of discard of such paper from the solid waste stream, that is suitable for utilization as a raw material in the manufacture of a new product; (5) the term `recycling' means the process by which recovered materials are transformed into new products; (6) the term `source separation' means the setting aside of recyclable materials at the point of generation by the generator; and (7) the term `unreasonable price' means a price for recycled paper or paper products that exceeds by more than 5 percent the price of equivalent paper or paper products that are not recycled. SEC. 3. SOURCE SEPARATION AND RECYCLING IN FEDERAL OFFICE FACILITIES. (a) SOURCE SEPARATION- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, shall promulgate guidelines pursuant to the authority granted to the Administrator under sections 1008 and 6004 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6907 and 6964, respectively) to establish requirements that-- (1) high-grade paper generated at an office facility (as defined by the Administrator) of a Federal agency with over 50 full-time equivalent employees shall be separated at the source of generation, separately collected, and sold for the purpose of recycling; and (2) all other recyclable paper shall be separately collected and sold for the purpose of recycling. (b) REVOLVING FUND- To fund the recycling activities described in subsection (a)-- (1) any Federal agency that is required, pursuant to subsection (a), to separate high-grade paper and other recyclable paper for the purpose of recycling may establish a revolving fund; and (2) the head of such Federal agency may deposit in such fund any amounts received from the sale of paper for recycling pursuant to subsection (a). SEC. 4. SOURCE SEPARATION AND RECYCLING IN CONGRESS. (a) SOURCE SEPARATION- The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall not more than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, take such action as may be necessary to ensure that-- (1) high-grade paper generated at the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, shall be separated at the source of generation, separately collected, and sold for the purposes of recycling; and (2) all other recyclable paper shall be separately collected and sold for the purpose of recycling. (b) REVOLVING FUND- To Fund the recycling activities described in subsection (a), the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate may establish a revolving fund and may deposit in such fund any amounts received from the sale of paper for recycling pursuant to subsection (a). SEC. 5. PROCUREMENT OF RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTS BY FEDERAL PROCURING AGENCIES. (a) PROMULGATION OF GUIDELINES- Except as provided in subsection (c), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, the Secretary of Commerce (acting through the Bureau of Standards), and the Public Printer, shall promulgate guidelines pursuant to section 6002(e) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6962(e)) to establish requirements for all procuring agencies described in section 6002 of such Act, with respect to the procurement of paper products to meet applicable minimum content standards described in the table entitled `Table 1: EPA Recommended Minimum Content Standards of Selected Papers and Paper Products' under the guidelines promulgated pursuant to such section 6002, set forth in 40 CFR 250.21 (as in effect immediately preceding the date of the enactment of this Act). (b) SUBSEQUENT MODIFICATIONS- The Administrator, in consultation with the individuals described in subsection (a), may subsequently modify the guidelines promulgated pursuant to subsection (a) to require all procuring agencies to meet minimum content standards that are more stringent than the minimum content standards described in such subsection. (c) EXEMPTIONS- (1) In promulgating the guidelines under subsection (a), the Administrator shall exempt a procuring agency from such requirements with respect to a paper product, if the head of the procuring agency determines that the procurement of a paper product meeting the requirements of such guidelines is not consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition, or that is not practicable to meet the applicable minimum content standard for such paper product because a paper product with such minimum content standard-- (A) is not suitable for the intended uses by such procuring agency; (B) such paper product is not available for procurement within a reasonable period of time; or (C) such paper product is available for procurement only at an unreasonable price, and the head of the procuring agency requests the Administrator to exempt the agency and submits documentation that the Administrator to substantiate determination described in subparagraphs (A), (B), or (C). The exemption shall terminate one year after the date the Administrator authorizes the exemption, unless the head of the procuring agency submits additional documentation to substantiate a renewal for a 1-year period. SEC. 6. PURCHASE OF RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTS BY THE CONGRESS. (a) PAPER PRODUCTS PROCURED BY THE CONGRESS- (1) The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall, not more than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, take such action as may be necessary to ensure that paper products that meet the recommended minimum content standards described in section 4(a) are used to the greatest extent practicable in the operations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively. A decision not to use any such paper product shall be based on a determination that such paper product is-- (A) not suitable for the intended uses of the House of Representatives or the Senate, respectively, (B) not available for purchase within a reasonable period of time; or (C) is available for purchase only at an unreasonable price. (2) In carrying out the requirements of paragraph (1), the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall, at a minimum, take such action as may be necessary to ensure that any such paper product is purchased under each contract, or subcontract under a contract, for the procurement of 10,000 pounds or more of any paper product. (b) PAPER PRODUCTS PURCHASED FOR CONGRESSIONAL PURPOSES- The Public Printer shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure that, in providing printing and other services to the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Government Printing Office uses paper products that meet the Recommended Minimum Content Standards described in section 4(a). A decision not to use any such paper product shall be based on a determination by the Public Printer based on a condition described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1). SEC. 7. WASTE SOURCE REDUCTION IN FEDERAL PROCUREMENT PRACTICES. (a) STUDY- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, the Secretary of Commerce (acting through the Bureau of Standards), and the Public Printer, shall conduct a study to review methods of waste source reduction in Federal procurement practices. Such study shall include an examination of products other than paper products and shall assess waste source reduction in Federal procurement practices, including-- (1) the elimination of unnecessary packaging; (2) the use of alternatives to disposable products; (3) improved ratios of product to package size; and (4) the use of nontoxic packaging material. (b) WASTE SOURCE REDUCTION GUIDELINES- Upon completion of the study described in subsection (a), the Administrator, in consultation with the individuals described in subsection (a), shall promulgate guidelines for waste source reduction in Federal procurement that implement any practices described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of such subsection that the Administrator determines to be practicable. SEC. 8. WASTE SOURCE REDUCTION IN PROCUREMENT PRACTICES OF THE CONGRESS. Not more than 180 days after the promulgation of the guidelines described in section 7(b), the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure that, in the operations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, waste source reduction practices are implemented and such practices follow, to the extent practicable, guidelines. SEC. 9. REPORTS TO THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, each Federal agency that is subject to the requirements of this Act shall submit a report to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency that outlines the compliance of such agency with the requirements of this Act. SEC. 10. REPORT TO THE CONGRESS. On an annual basis, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate, in consultation with the Public Printer, shall each submit a report on the implementation of sections 4, 6, and 8 of this Act to the appropriate committees of the Congress.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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