Overview

Today's savvy buyer of traffic control products favors recycled contentThe portion of a product that is made from materials diverted from the waste stream, usually stated as a percentage by weight.. From safety cones and barricades to parking stops and traffic control devices, products containing up to 100% recycled content are widely available. These products feature high quality and durability at a cost that is competitive with virgin products.

Laws & Guidelines

Federal procurement guidelines resulting from an Executive Order establish purchasing guidelines for recycled-content traffic cones, parking stops, channelizers, and delineators. State and local governments are encouraged to follow these guidelines. See Specifications.

Performance

Transportation products containing recovered materials must conform to the Manual on Uniform Highway Traffic Control Devices used by the Federal Highway Administration, as well as other applicable requirements and specifications. Experience has shown that transportation products made with recycled materials are sturdy and durable.

Parking stops made with recycled plastic or rubber are maintenance-free. Unlike concrete parking stops, they will not crack or crumble. Heavier than their plastic-only counterparts, recycled rubber bases on products including traffic cones, safety posts (delineators), and barrels offer greater durability. Many of these products have multi-year warranties.

Some recycled products are also easier to install than the products they replace. For example, a six-foot parking stop made from recycled plastic can be installed by one person using light equipment. A concrete parking stop requires at least two workers and heavy equipment for transport and unloading.

Availability

Recycled-content transportation products can be purchased through supply catalogs, local distributors, or directly from the manufacturer.

Cost

Costs of transportation products made with recycled material are competitive with those made from non-recycled materials. Phone quotes obtained from a local company in October 1999 found a six-foot recycled plastic parking stop to cost 13% less than a six-foot concrete parking stop. For several products such as parking stops, speed bumps, and barrel collars, the advantages are three-fold: recycled material substitutes for a less durable material, requires less maintenance, and provides a longer service life.

Specifications

Use the following federal guidelines when purchasing traffic control products. Subcontractors should also be required to follow these guidelines.

TRANSPORTATION PRODUCT	RECOVERED MATERIAL CONTENT
Traffic Cones
Plastic (PVC and LDPE)	50% to 100% total recovered content
Rubber	50% to 100% total recovered content
Traffic Barricades (type I and II only)
Plastic	80% to 100% post-consumer recycled content
	16% to 67% post-consumer recycled content
Steel
Parking Stops, plastic or rubber	100% post-consumer recycled content
Channelizers
Plastic	25% to 95% post-consumer recycled content
Rubber base	100% post-consumer recycled content
Delineators
Plastic	25% to 90% post-consumer recycled content
Rubber base	100% post-consumer recycled content
Steel base	25% to 50% post-consumer recycled content
Flexible Delineators	25% to 85% post-consumer recycled conten

Vendors

Distributors
The following distributors were identified by city and county public works employees as businesses from which they have purchased transportation products. The recycled products are listed after the company contact information.

Earl F. Andersen, Inc.
Bloomington, MN
952/884-7300
fax: 952/ 884-5619
Products: "Grabber" Cones, traffic safety posts, and vertical panel barricades (recycled rubber); parking stops, chocks, and speed bumps (recycled plastic); XPotential parking curbs (recycled auto interior parts).

Barco Products Company
Batavia, IL
800/757-5460
fax: 630/ 879-8687
Products: Parking stops (recycled plastic), traffic safety posts (recycled rubber base), speed bumps (recycled rubber and recycled plastic); type III barricade (recycled plastic), barrelcades (recycled rubber base), traffic safety systems (recycled rubber base), cone signs (recycled plastic), and bollards (recycled plastic).

Construction Materials
St. Louis Park, MN
952/929-0431
fax: 952/929-0737
Products: Parking stops, wheel chocks, bollards, and speed bumps (recycled plastic).

Distribution, Inc.
Green Bay, WI
800/245-0524
fax: 920/468-7827
Products: Traffic barricades (recycled plastic).

M-R Sign Co., Inc.
Fergus Falls, MN
800/231-5564
fax: 218/736-4070
Products: Barrels (recycled tire collar) and delineators (recycled plastic).

Manufacturers

Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls
Iowa Falls, IA
800/338-1438
fax: 641/648-5074
Products: Parking stops, speed bumps, and bollards (recycled plastic).

Bedford Technology
Worthington, MN
800/721-9037
fax: 507/372-5726
Products: Parking and speed bumps (recycled plastic).

RENEW Plastics
Luxemburg, WI
800/666-5207
fax: 920/845-2335
Products: Traffic barricades (recycled plastic).

ZeroFlex, Inc.
Sauk Rapids, MN
320/251-3080
fax: 320/654-1505
Products: Bollards (recycled plastic)