Code of Federal Regulations Title 48. Federal Acquisition Regulations System 48.11.301 Definitions

As used in this subpart—

Postconsumer material means a material or finished product that has served its intended use and has been discarded for disposal or recovery, having completed its life as a consumer item. Postconsumer material is a part of the broader category of “recovered material.” For paper and paper products, postconsumer material means “postconsumer fiber” defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as—

(1) Paper, paperboard, and fibrous materials from retail stores, office buildings, homes, and so forth, after they have passed through their end-usage as a consumer item, including:  used corrugated boxes;  old newspapers;  old magazines;  mixed waste paper;  tabulating cards;  and used cordage;  or

(2) All paper, paperboard, and fibrous materials that enter and are collected from municipal solid waste;  but not

(3) Fiber derived from printers' over-runs, converters' scrap, and over-issue publications.

Recovered material for paper and paper products, is defined by EPA in its Comprehensive Procurement Guideline as “recovered fiber” and means the following materials:

(1) Postconsumer fiber.

(2) Manufacturing wastes such as—

(i) Dry paper and paperboard waste generated after completion of the papermaking process (that is, those manufacturing operations up to and including the cutting and trimming of the paper machine reel into smaller rolls or rough sheets) including:  envelope cuttings, bindery trimmings, and other paper and paperboard waste resulting from printing, cutting, forming, and other converting operations;  bag, box, and carton manufacturing wastes;  and butt rolls, mill wrappers, and rejected unused stock;  and

(ii) Repulped finished paper and paperboard from obsolete inventories of paper and paperboard manufacturers, merchants, wholesalers, dealers, printers, converters, or others.