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 Today's final RMAN II recommends postconsumer or recovered
materials content levels at which EPA believes the designated items are
generally available. For shower and restroom dividers/partitions,
plastic fencing, lawn and garden edging, and plastic envelopes, the
RMAN II recommends two-part content levels--a postconsumer recovered
materials component and a total recovered materials component. In these
instances, EPA found that both types of materials were being used to
manufacture these products. Recommending only postconsumer content
levels would be contrary to the RCRA mandate to maximize the use of
recovered materials because it would fail to acknowledge the
contribution to solid waste management made by manufacturers using
other recovered materials as feedstock. The terms "recovered
materials" and "postconsumer materials" are defined in the CPG at 40
CFR 247.3. These definitions are repeated in this notice as a reference
for the convenience of the reader.
Postconsumer materials means a material or finished product that
has served its intended end use and has been diverted or recovered
from waste destined for disposal, having completed its life as a
consumer item. Postconsumer material is part of the broader category
of recovered materials.
Recovered materials means waste materials and byproducts which
have been recovered or diverted from solid waste, but such term does
not include those materials and byproducts generated from, and
commonly used within an original manufacturing process.
IV. Agency's Response to Public Comments
A. Ink Jet Cartridges
EPA received comments opposing the proposed designation of ink jet
cartridges. These comments raised solid waste, performance, quality,
availability, and patent and trademark concerns. After considering the
information submitted by commenters, EPA tentatively concluded that
there was insufficient evidence to support a designation of ink jet
cartridges at this time. On April 14, 1997, EPA published a Notice of
Data Availability in the Federal Register (62 FR 18072) in order to
notify interested parties of the tentative decision not to designate
ink jet cartridges, summarize the information available to the Agency,
and request further public comment.
EPA received only two responses to the April 14 notice--one from a
vendor of ink jet refilling equipment and additional information from
one of the original commenters. The vendor appears to have promising
technology for resolving many of the performance and solid waste issues
raised by commenters. The vendor did not, however, submit sufficient
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