Traffic barricades can be used to redirect or restrict traffic in areas of highway construction or repair. They are typically made from wood, steel, plastic, fiberglass, or a combination of these materials. Many manufacturers have switched to the use of recycled materials in both the supporting frame and rails of the barricades. EPA's designation covers only Types I and II traffic barricades.
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing traffic barricades as shown in the table below.
EPA's Recommended Recovered Materials Content Levels
for Traffic Barricades (Types I and II) ¹
|Material||Postconsumer Content (%)||Total Recovered Materials Content (%)|
(HDPE, LDPE, PET)
1The recommended materials content levels for steel in this table reflect the fact that the designated items can be made from steel manufactured in either a Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) or an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). Steel from the BDF process contains 25-30% total recovered materials, of which 16% is postconsumer steel. Steel from the EAF process contains a total of 100% recovered steel, of which 67% is postconsumer.
of Manufacturers and Suppliers
This database identifies manufacturers and suppliers of traffic barricades containing recovered materials.
Buy-Recycled Series: Transportation Products (PDF) (7 pp, 89K, About PDF)
This fact sheet highlights the transportation products designated in the CPG, including traffic barricades, and includes case studies, recommended recovered-content levels, and a list of resources.
Technical Background Documents
These background documents include EPA's product research on recovered-content traffic barricades as well as a more detailed overview of the history and regulatory requirements of the CPG process.