Pub. Contract Code, § 12301

The following definitions govern the interpretation of this chapter:

(a) “Department” means the Department of General Services.

(b) “Board” means the California Integrated Waste Management Board, as defined pursuant to Section 40110 of the Public Resources Code.

(c) “Recycled paper product” means all paper and woodpulp products containing postconsumer and secondary materials. “Postconsumer material” means a finished material that would normally be disposed of as a solid waste, having completed its life cycle as a consumer item. “Secondary material” means fragments of finished products or finished products of a manufacturing process, which has converted a virgin resource into a commodity of real economic value, and includes postconsumer material, but does not include fibrous waste generated during the manufacturing process such as fibers recovered from wastewater or trimmings of paper machine rolls (mill broke), wood slabs, chips, sawdust, or other wood residue from a manufacturing process. “Recycled paper product” means a paper product with not less than 50 percent, by fiber weight, consisting of secondary and postconsumer material with not less than 10 percent of fiber weight consisting of postconsumer material.

For high speed copier paper, offset paper, forms bond, computer printout paper, carbonless paper, file folders, white wove envelopes, and for other uncoated printing and writing papers, such as writing and office paper, book paper, cotton fiber paper containing 25 to 75 percent cotton fiber, and cover stock, the minimum content standard shall be no less than 20 percent of fiber weight of postconsumer materials beginning December 31, 1994. The minimum content standard shall be increased to 30 percent of fiber weight of postconsumer materials beginning on December 31, 1998.

(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), “recycled product” means all materials, goods, and supplies, excluding paper products, no less than 50 percent of the total weight of which consists of secondary and postconsumer material with not less than 10 percent of its total weight consisting of postconsumer material. A recycled product shall include any product that could have been disposed of as solid waste having completed its life cycle as a consumer item, but otherwise is refurbished for reuse without substantial alteration of its form. “Postconsumer material” means a finished material that would have been disposed of as a solid waste, having completed its life cycle as a consumer item, and does not include manufacturing wastes. “Secondary material” means fragments of finished products or finished products of a manufacturing process, which has converted a resource into a commodity of real economic value, and includes postconsumer material, but does not include excess virgin resources of the manufacturing process.

(2) “Recycled product” also means other flat rolled steel products no less than 25 percent of the total weight of which consists of secondary and postconsumer material, with not less than 10 percent of total weight consisting of postconsumer material. Products made with flat rolled steel meeting these content percentages include, but are not limited to, automobiles, cans, appliances, and office furniture and supplies.