Waterborne Traffic Marking Paint

Green purchasing guidance for waterborne traffic and zone marking paint.

Required specifications

Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:

EO 20-01: State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) states, “reducing … the use of dangerous toxics in the products state agencies purchase will all have a direct positive effect on human health, particularly for vulnerable children…”

It further states, “When making purchasing, construction, leasing, and other decisions that affect state government’s emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) or other toxic substances, agencies shall explicitly consider the benefits and costs (including the social costs of carbon) of available options to avoid those emissions. Where cost-effective and workable solutions are available that will reduce or eliminate emissions, decision makers shall select the lower-emissions options.”

Therefore, all traffic- and zone- marking paint products must comply with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) VOC limit of 100 grams/liter).

Purchasers should include these specifications, unless not possible:

DES’ Procurement Preference for Products and Product Packaging that Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) (POL-DES-280-00) establishes a minimum 5% bid preference authorized in RCW 39.26.280 for bidders that offer products and packaging contain the lowest concentration of PCBs, when tested. The intent of this policy is to incentivize the state’s contract suppliers to provide products and packaging that do not contain PCBs.
Additional desirable environmental and health attributes of traffic- and zone-marking paint include certification by the Master Painters Institute (MPI) under its Extreme Green, or Green Performance Standards (GPS-1 or GPS-2).
- List of MPI-certified green products.
- Green Purchasing Best Practices: Traffic Paint (PDF).

Purchasers should avoid these specifications whenever possible:

EO 04-01: Persistent Toxic Chemicals limits state purchasing of products that contain persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals. Accordingly, no traffic- or zone-marking paint may contain lead, cadmium or chromium VI.
RCW 39.26.280: Preference—Products and Products in Packaging That Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls prohibits state agencies from knowingly purchasing “products or products in packaging containing polychlorinated biphenyls above the practical quantification limit except when it is not cost-effective or technically feasible to do so.” It also authorizes state agencies to develop policies that offer a bid preference for PCB-free products and packaging.
RCW 39.26.280: Preference—Products and Products in Packaging That Do Not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls prohibits state agencies from knowingly purchasing “products or products in packaging containing polychlorinated biphenyls above the practical quantification limit except when it is not cost-effective or technically feasible to do so.”
Bidders must avoid offering PCB-containing products and packaging unless there is no cost-effective or technically feasible alternative. In such cases, they must use notify all products and packaging in their offering that contain PCBs.

These laws, rules, and executive orders must be included in the contract language:

Find products that meet Washington’s green purchasing specifications:

Use surplus disposal to get rid of items you no longer need. Keep materials out of landfills and make funds for your agency.

Hazardous waste disposal guidelines and options: