BOP Program Statement 4490.02 § 4

a. General Recycling Operations. Each institution department will participate in the

institution recycling program. They will make available any spent materials that are recycled by

the institution to the Recycling Technician. At a minimum, recycling program oversight ensures:

 Staff and inmate workers are assigned and properly supervised.

 Task instruction and oversight are provided as needed.

 Safe work practices and required personal protective equipment (PPE) are used.

 Unsafe or improper practices are promptly corrected.

 Training hours for inmate workers are tracked, logged, and maintained by the program

oversight staff.

At a minimum, recycling operations will ensure:

 Recyclable materials are collected from designated areas.

 Recyclable materials are diverted from landfill disposal.

 Recycling areas are accessible, orderly, and secured when not in use.

 Recyclable materials are properly staged, stored, or secured for vendor pickup or internal

handling.

 Materials are correctly sorted and contamination removed.

 Recycling equipment is operational and maintained in safe condition.

 Recycling and landfill-diversion quantities are recorded daily.

b. Food-Waste Prevention and Diversion. When financially feasible, institutions must support

food-waste prevention and diversion projects that directly contribute to recycling, landfill-diversion, waste-reduction, or environmental-compliance goals. Efforts include:

 Use of equipment that reduces, dehydrates, composts, grinds, or otherwise diverts food

waste.

 Improvement to food-waste collection, handling, storage, or transportation.

 Researching and implementing methods that provide the most effective and cost-efficient

operational benefit, while reducing overall food waste.

4490.02 5/7/2026 PROPERTY OF US GOVERNMENT 3

 Providing training required to safely and effectively support food-waste diversion

activities.

c. Self-transport of recyclable materials. In accordance with Program Statement National

Environmental Protection, institutions that self-transport recyclable materials to the recycling

facilities must have a written program approved by the Warden. The Facilities Manager must

develop the program, which complies with 40 CFR 243.202 and includes:

 Identification of local, state, and federal regulations.

 Procedural guidance for compliance.

 Solid waste transport permit, if required by state or local regulation.

 Method for tracking the pounds of recyclable materials provided to the recycler, weight

tickets are preferred.