Consider selecting a site that is conducive to this credit as well as to SSc3.1 and SSc3.2—one with good access for alternative transportation, including public transit and good bicycle and pedestrian access.
Look at your baseline materials budget to determine how much reused material you need to incorporate into your project. Decide how much you want to spend on reused materials and establish what reused materials are available. To earn one point, allocate 5% of your materials budget. Identify the items in your preliminary budget that could be donated, reused, or salvaged. Do these items add up to the amount needed to get one LEED point?
Look at your baseline materials budget to determine how much reused material you need to incorporate into your project. Decide how much you want to spend on reused materials, and establish what reused materials are available. To gain one point, devote 5% of the materials budget to reused materials; for two points, allocate 10%. Identify donated, reused, or purchased items in the project’s preliminary budget that could be salvaged materials. Do these items add up to the amount needed to get one or two points?
Include in your materials budget the cost (excluding labor) of all construction items. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and equipment costs are excluded. Furniture is also excluded, as it is dealt with in a separate credit, MRc3.2. (See the Resource tab for a breakdown of CSI divisons.)
Include in your materials baseline budget the materials cost (excluding labor) of all items that apply under CSI Master Spec 2004 (see the Resources section for a breakdown of CSI divisions):
Divisions 3–10,
Sections 31.60: Foundations
32.10: Paving
32.30: Site Improvements
32.90: Planting
Division 12: Furniture is optional. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and equipment costs are also excluded.
Begin creating a baseline materials budget. Even if you don’t know the actual material costs, it will be helpful to establish estimates at this stage. You can use a spreadsheet to help create the baseline budget and track its environmental benefits, such as the one offered in the Documentation Toolkit.
Evaluate what materials the project will use that might be targeted for reuse. Set goals in the owner’s project requirements regarding salvaged materials.
For products you purchase that don’t meet sustainability criteria, collaborate with purchasers and vendors to identify substitutes, and create a preferred products list.
