Recycled Content
Source: PCRB 46-0320 and the 2003 Multnomah County Policy Paper and Paint.
Introduction
PCRB Rule 46-0320 allows Multnomah County buyers to state a preference for goods made from recycled materials and for recycled paper. These are defined as follows:
Recycled material: Any material that would otherwise be a useless, unwanted or discarded material except for the fact that the material still has useful physical or chemical properties after serving a specific purpose and can, therefore, be reused or recycled.
Recycled paper: A paper product with not less than thirty percent of its total weight consisting of post-consumer waste.
The County gives preference to products made from recycled materials as long as:
The product is available.
The product meets applicable standards.
The product can be substituted for a comparable non-recycled product.
The cost of the product does not exceed the cost of the non recycled product by more than five percent (for all goods except paper) or 15 percent (specifically in the case of paper).
Specifications should be developed in a way that encourages the use of recycled paper and recycled products.
For more definitions and more comprehensive information go to PCRB Rule 46-0320.