Policy Number 100-14 

Effective Date: 05/26/92 

Background: 

Solid waste management poses an increasingly difficult problem as America’s consumption increases and landfill space becomes more scarce. As part of an effort to address this issue, the City of San Diego has developed a recycling program, both for City residents and for City employees. 

The City’s implementation of a recycling program, taken alone, is insufficient. Recycling has not truly taken place until the recycled material has been used in the manufacture of a product and that product has been purchased and placed in use. State and local government purchases account for 12-13 percent of the gross national product. Government can and should have a direct and meaningful influence on the marketplace. 

Purpose: 

It is the intent of the City Council that the City of San Diego take a leadership role not only in recycling its waste products but in the purchase of recycled products for use in the delivery of City services. It is the purpose of this policy to provide direction to the City Manager and the Purchasing Agent in the procurement and use of recycled products. 

Policy: 

1. It is the policy of the City of San Diego to purchase and use recycled products whenever possible to the extent that such use does not negatively impact health, safety or operational efficiency. 

2. Purchase of products which cannot be recycled or reused is strongly discouraged. 

3. Recycled paper shall be purchased and used in all copy machines which will accept it and shall also be used for printing purposes. City staff will encourage the copier industry to develop high-speed copiers which will accept recycled paper. 

City departments and divisions shall use for their masthead stationery and envelopes, recycled paper which includes both secondary and post-consumer recycled content. The percentages of post-consumer and secondary content shall be spelled out in the bid specifications for letterhead and other paper grades based on industry availability. A recycled paper designation shall be printed on all City stationery. 

4. City departments shall examine their purchasing specifications and, where feasible, restructure them to require the use of products which incorporate recycled materials in their manufacture. 

5. A price preference specific to the product and market conditions, not to exceed $5,000 per contract, shall be given to recycled products. The $5,000 per contract price reference limitation shall not apply to purchases of recycled paper. The definitions and minimum content standards for recycled content in recycled products favored by the City of San Diego shall be identical to those established in EPA procurement guidelines promulgated prior to January 1, 1990 except for fine and printing papers where the higher minimum post-consumer content standards issued by the State shall be followed, or shall conform with new Federal or State guidelines as they are issued, whichever are more stringent. The preference percentage shall be based on the lowest bid or price quoted by the supplier or suppliers offering non-recycled products. 

6. The City shall cooperate with the County of San Diego, SANDAG and other governmental agencies in the development of programs and procedures which will further this policy. 

History: 

Adopted by Resolution NO. 274055 Dated 07/24/89 

Amended by Resolution R-280009 05/26/92 

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