LEED v2009
Existing Building Operations
Materials and Resources

Solid Waste Management—Waste Stream Audit

EBOM-2009 MRc6: Solid Waste Management—Waste Stream Audit

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Conduct a waste stream audit of the building’s entire ongoing consumables waste stream (not durable goods or construction waste for facility alterations and additions). Use the audit’s results to establish a baseline that identifies the types of waste making up the waste stream and the amounts of each type by weight or volume. Identify opportunities for increased recycling and waste diversion. The audit must be conducted during the performance period.

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Frequently asked questions

Can the waste audit include a sample selection of waste generated at the project building (i.e. waste from the first floor only)?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Does food waste need to be sorted through?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If a tenant in the project building pays a paper shredding company to shred and dispose of confidential documents, does the shredded paper waste need to be accounted for in the waste audit?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

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A project building conducted a waste audit over two years ago. Can the project team use that waste audit to comply with the requirements of MRc6?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

See all forum discussions about this credit »

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Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

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Addenda

09/05/2011– Updated: 14/02/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
ad-100000935

Replace "U.S. EPA WasteWise Program" title, website and description with the following:U.S. EPA WasteWise Programwww.epa.gov/wastewiseWasteWise is a free, voluntary EPA program that U.S. organizations can use to track, manage, and reduce their municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes.

Inquiry:
Ruling:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
09/05/2011– Updated: 14/02/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
ad-100000903

Replace "U.S. EPA WasteWise Program" title, website and description with the following:U.S. EPA WasteWise Programwww.epa.gov/wastewiseWasteWise is a free, voluntary EPA program that U.S. organizations can use to track, manage, and reduce their municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes.

Inquiry:
Ruling:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
14/04/2010– Updated: 14/02/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
ad-100000251

In the second bulleted item, replace the text "MR Credit 2: Sustainable Purchasing - Durable Goods" with "MR Credit 2.1: Sustainable Purchasing - Electric-Powered Equipment" and, below as a new bulleted item, "MR Credit 2.2: Sustainable Purchasing - Furniture"

Inquiry:
Ruling:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
01/07/2016
LEED Interpretation
Description of change:
Inquiry:

If a building has earned TRUE Certification, can that certification be used to document LEED Operations and Maintenance credits?

Ruling:

Yes, if a building has earned TRUE certification and the scope of the project (i.e. project boundary) is the same as a project pursuing LEED Operations and Maintenance certification, the TRUE certification can be used to document the following LEED credits, provided the corresponding TRUE credit is earned. A final review report for the TRUE Certification must be provided to demonstrate specific credit achievement.
LEED EB: O+M 2009
MR prerequisite 2: Solid Waste Management Policy; USZWBC includes a mandatory Zero Waste Policy
MR credit 6: Solid Waste Management – Waste Stream Audit; Zero Waste Analysis, Credit 1
MR credit 7: Solid Waste Management - Ongoing Consumables; both Diversion, Credit 1 and Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 5
Innovation in Operations credit 1 for Exemplary Performance if at least 95% diversion is achieved
LEED v4
MR prerequisite: Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy (waste policy portion only); USZWBC includes a mandatory Zero Waste Policy
MR credit: Solid Waste Management – Ongoing; both Diversion, Credit 1 and Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 3
Innovation credit for Exemplary Performance if at least 95% diversion is achieved
***Updated 9.30.2021
• Replace all references to USZWBC with TRUE
• Replace “scorecard” with “final review report”
• Under "LEED v4", on the line "MR credit: Solid Waste Management – Ongoing" change "Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 5" to "Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 3"

Campus Applicable
Yes
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
See all forum discussions about this credit »
Guest expert

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

LEEDuser overview

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Conduct a waste stream audit of the building’s entire ongoing consumables waste stream (not durable goods or construction waste for facility alterations and additions). Use the audit’s results to establish a baseline that identifies the types of waste making up the waste stream and the amounts of each type by weight or volume. Identify opportunities for increased recycling and waste diversion. The audit must be conducted during the performance period.

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Checklists

Step by step to LEED certification

LEEDuser’s checklists walk you through the key action steps you need to earn a credit, including how to avoid common pitfalls and save money.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now


Frequently asked questions

Can the waste audit include a sample selection of waste generated at the project building (i.e. waste from the first floor only)?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Does food waste need to be sorted through?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If a tenant in the project building pays a paper shredding company to shred and dispose of confidential documents, does the shredded paper waste need to be accounted for in the waste audit?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

A project building conducted a waste audit over two years ago. Can the project team use that waste audit to comply with the requirements of MRc6?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Addenda

09/05/2011– Updated: 14/02/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
ad-100000935

Replace "U.S. EPA WasteWise Program" title, website and description with the following:U.S. EPA WasteWise Programwww.epa.gov/wastewiseWasteWise is a free, voluntary EPA program that U.S. organizations can use to track, manage, and reduce their municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes.

Inquiry:
Ruling:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
09/05/2011– Updated: 14/02/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
ad-100000903

Replace "U.S. EPA WasteWise Program" title, website and description with the following:U.S. EPA WasteWise Programwww.epa.gov/wastewiseWasteWise is a free, voluntary EPA program that U.S. organizations can use to track, manage, and reduce their municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes.

Inquiry:
Ruling:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
14/04/2010– Updated: 14/02/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
ad-100000251

In the second bulleted item, replace the text "MR Credit 2: Sustainable Purchasing - Durable Goods" with "MR Credit 2.1: Sustainable Purchasing - Electric-Powered Equipment" and, below as a new bulleted item, "MR Credit 2.2: Sustainable Purchasing - Furniture"

Inquiry:
Ruling:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
01/07/2016
LEED Interpretation
Description of change:
Inquiry:

If a building has earned TRUE Certification, can that certification be used to document LEED Operations and Maintenance credits?

Ruling:

Yes, if a building has earned TRUE certification and the scope of the project (i.e. project boundary) is the same as a project pursuing LEED Operations and Maintenance certification, the TRUE certification can be used to document the following LEED credits, provided the corresponding TRUE credit is earned. A final review report for the TRUE Certification must be provided to demonstrate specific credit achievement.
LEED EB: O+M 2009
MR prerequisite 2: Solid Waste Management Policy; USZWBC includes a mandatory Zero Waste Policy
MR credit 6: Solid Waste Management – Waste Stream Audit; Zero Waste Analysis, Credit 1
MR credit 7: Solid Waste Management - Ongoing Consumables; both Diversion, Credit 1 and Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 5
Innovation in Operations credit 1 for Exemplary Performance if at least 95% diversion is achieved
LEED v4
MR prerequisite: Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy (waste policy portion only); USZWBC includes a mandatory Zero Waste Policy
MR credit: Solid Waste Management – Ongoing; both Diversion, Credit 1 and Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 3
Innovation credit for Exemplary Performance if at least 95% diversion is achieved
***Updated 9.30.2021
• Replace all references to USZWBC with TRUE
• Replace “scorecard” with “final review report”
• Under "LEED v4", on the line "MR credit: Solid Waste Management – Ongoing" change "Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 5" to "Hazardous Waste Prevention, Credit 3"

Campus Applicable
Yes
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
See all forum discussions about this credit »
Guest expert

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director