Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for Transportation Products
To promote the use of materials recovered from municipal solid waste (MSW), EPA designated the following transportation products under the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) program and published recycled-content recommendations for each item.
On this page:
Channelizers, Delineators, and Flexible Delineators
- Channelizers are barrels or drums that direct traffic around areas of road repair or construction. Channelizers are designed and colored to be highly visible and can be constructed from recovered HDPE and rubber. The bases of the drums are weighted to provide stability and are often made from used tires.
- Delineators are temporary pavement markers that come in many shapes, sizes and designs. They are manufactured primarily from recovered and postconsumer HDPE. Delineator bases are either steel stakes that can be driven into the ground or rubber to support the delineator on the road surface.
- Flexible Delineators come in the form of stakes and are driven into the ground. The product is flexible enough so that vehicles can strike them without causing damage to the vehicle or delineator. They are used at golf courses, airports, military bases, shopping centers and recreation areas. EPA's designation specifically covers channelizers, delineators and flexible delineators containing recovered plastic, rubber or steel.
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing channelizers, delineators and flexible delineators as shown in the table below.
| Product | Material | Postconsumer Content | Total Recovered Materials Content (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channelizers | Plastic | 25-95 | 25-95 |
| Rubber (base only) | 100 | 100 | |
| Delineators | Plastic | 25-95 | 25-95 |
| Rubber (base only) | 100 | 100 | |
| Steel³(base only) | 16 67 |
25-30 100 |
|
| Flexible Delineators | Plastic | 25-85 | 25-85 |
1The recommended recovered materials content levels are based on the weight (not volume) of materials in the insulating core only.
2Content levels are based on the dry weight of the raw materials, exclusive of any additives such as adhesives, binders or coloring agents.
3The recommended recovered materials content levels for steel in this table reflect the fact that the designated items can be made from steel manufactured in either a Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) or an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). Steel from the BOF process contains 25-30 percent total recovered materials, of which 16 percent is postconsumer steel. Steel from the EAF process contains a total of 100 percent recovered steel, of which 67 percent is postconsumer.
Product Specifications
EPA recommends that procuring agencies use the following specifications when procuring channelizers, delineators and flexible delineators:
- The Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices contains specifications for the size, shape, mounting and placement of temporary traffic control devices.
- The states of Florida and North Carolina have specifications that require the use of recovered materials in their flexible delineators. The California Department of Transportation has specifications for "Driving Flexible Plastic Guide Marker and Clearance Marker Posts."
For more information on EPA’s product research for channelizers, delineators, and flexible delineators, please see the Technical Background Document for RMAN II.
Parking Stops
Commonly found in parking lots, parking stops are used to mark spaces and keep vehicles from rolling beyond a designated parking area. EPA's designation specifically covers parking stops made from concrete or containing recovered plastic or rubber.
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing parking stops as shown in the table below.
| Product | Material | Postconsumer Content (%) | Total Recovered Materials Content (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking Stops | Plastic and/or Rubber2 | 100 | -- |
| Concrete Containing Coal Fly Ash | -- | 20-403 | |
| Concrete Containing Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBF) | -- | 25-70 |
1Transportation products containing recovered materials must conform to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices used by the Federal Highway Administration, as well as other applicable federal requirements and specifications.
2Parking stops made with recovered plastics may also include other recovered materials such as sawdust, wood or fiberglass. The percentage of these materials contained in the product would also count toward the recovered materials content level of the parking stops.
3Generally, 20 to 30 percent, but could be up to 40 percent. Fifteen percent when used as a partial cement replacement as an admixture in concrete.
Product Specifications
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification C595M-13 Standard Specification for Blended Hydraulic Cements specifies the appropriate mix design, including recovered materials content, for concrete containing coal fly ash and GGBF slag.
For more information on EPA’s product research for plastic fencing, please see the Technical Background Document for RMAN II.
Traffic Barricades
Slides, swings, climbing equipment, merry-go-rounds and seesaws are all different types of playground equipment. These items can be made with recovered wood, steel, aluminum, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE and PP. A typical set of playground equipment made with recovered-content plastic lumber can contain plastic recovered from between 31,500 and 63,000 milk and water jugs.
Traffic barricades can be used to redirect or restrict traffic in areas of highway construction or repair. They are typically made from wood, steel, plastic, fiberglass or a combination of these materials. Many manufacturers have switched to the use of recycled materials in both the supporting frame and rails of the barricades. EPA's designation covers only Types I and II traffic barricades.
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing traffic barricades as shown in the table below.
| Product | Material | Postconsumer Content (%) | Total Recovered Materials Content (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Barricades | Plastic (HDPE, LDPE, PET) |
80-100 | 100 |
| Steel | 16 67 |
25-30 100 |
|
| Fiberglass | -- | 100 |
1The recommended materials content levels for steel in this table reflect the fact that the designated items can be made from steel manufactured in either a Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) or an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). Steel from the BDF process contains 25-30 percent total recovered materials, of which 16 percent is postconsumer steel. Steel from the EAF process contains a total of 100 percent recovered steel, of which 67 percent is postconsumer.
For more information on EPA’s product research for recovered content parking stops, please see the Technical Background Document for RMAN I.
Traffic Cones
Traffic cones are used to mark a road hazard or to direct traffic. Recovered plastics are used in the upper component of the cones, and crumb rubber and/or plastics are used in the base.
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing traffic cones as shown in the table below.
| Product | Material | Postconsumer Content (%) | Total Recovered Materials Content (%)2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Cones | Plastic (PVC and LDPE) | -- | 50-100 |
| Crumb rubber | -- | 50-100 |
1Department of Transportation's Manual on Uniform Traffic Devices
2The recommended recovered materials content levels are based on the dry weight of the raw materials, exclusive of any additives such as adhesives, binders or coloring agents.
For more information on EPA’s product research for recovered content traffic cones, please see the Technical Background Document for RMAN I.