Close the recycling loop - buy recycled products!

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The symbol for recycling - the"chasing arrows" - depicts the full recycling circle.  The real economic and environmental benefits of recycling are realized when products made from post-consumer recycled materials are purchased instead of products made from "virgin" materials.  You will be surprised at the wide variety and high quality of materials that are available for your home, business or institution.     

Responsible Purchasing Network - JOIN NOW FOR FREE!

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Missouri organizations and businesses can join the Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) between now and September 2014 FOR FREE, thanks to a grant from the EPA. The RPN is an international network of buyers dedicated to socially responsible and environmentally sustainable purchasing. Our membership program and consulting services provide institutional purchasers with cutting edge procurement tools and resources designed to save money, conserve resources, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.  Join now: http://www.responsiblepurchasing.org/

Resources from EPA's WasteWise website:

America Recycles Day (ARD) is a national grassroots campaign dedicated to increasing the purchase of recycled content products and recycling throughout America.

National Recycling Coalition (NRC) is a national advocacy group working to eliminate waste and promote sustainable economies through advancing sound management practices for raw materials in North America.

Conservatree provides information on recycled, tree-free, and chlorine-free printing and writing papers.

Green Seal is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the manufacture and sale of environmentally responsible consumer products. It sets environmental standards and awards a "Green Seal of Approval" to products that cause less harm to the environment than other similar products.

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Compliance Evaluation Program helps retailers, government agencies, and corporate procurement officials screen the environmental claims made by their vendors to ensure responsible green marketing. 

National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) Recycled PET (RPET) Catalog provides a list of suppliers that manufacture products containing post consumer PET plastic bottles.

Government agency purchasing guidelines

General Services Administration's Sustainable Facilities website is an easy way to navigate the GSA catalog for purchasing recycled content and other environmentally preferable products.

U.S. EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program (EPP) 
encourages and assists federal agencies in the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services. This site includes tools to implement EPP, successful stories, events, and an EPP discussion section. 

U.S. EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines includes information on manufacturers, vendors, and suppliers of designated products, fact sheets, buy-recycled news, and related links.

National Association of State Purchasing Officials (NASPO) green purchasing guide includes resources for buyers, a model environmental purchasing policy, and success stories.