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LEED v4.1

Existing Buildings

Materials and Resources
Waste Performance

LEED CREDIT

EBOM-v4.1 MRp3: Waste Performance Required

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SPECIAL REPORT

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Ashwini Arun

WSP
Senior Sustainability Manager

SPECIAL REPORT

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

Requirements

Have in place storage locations for recyclable materials, including mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals. Safely store and dispose of batteries and all lamps (indoor and outdoor, hard-wired and portable fixtures).

Track and measure all ongoing waste and durable goods waste.

Measure the total weight of waste (in lbs., kg, or tons) that is generated, and the total weight that is diverted from landfills and incineration facilities for one full year or from a waste analysis. Exclude any facility renovations waste.

Input generated and diverted waste totals into the Arc platform, and calculate a Waste Performance Score for the project.

LEED points for this prerequisite are awarded for Waste Performance Scores above 40, according to Table 1.

Table 1. LEED Points for Waste Performance
Waste Performance Score LEED Points
40 3
44 4
57 5
69 6
82 7
94 8
Waste Performance Score
The waste performance score rates the resource consumption and resource use efficiency of the building (waste generated and diverted) against the consumption and efficiency of comparable high-performing buildings.

The score is a value from 1-100 based on the project’s total weight of waste generated and the total weight of waste diverted from landfills and incineration facilities.
Waste Performance Score calculation
To calculate waste performance score, the following data is required:
  • Total waste generated (lbs., kg, or tons)
  • Total waste diverted (lbs., kg, or tons)
  • Weighted occupancy
The waste generated is converted into an average daily waste generated per occupant, using Equation 1.

Equation 1. Average daily waste generated = (waste generated / # days associated with waste total) / occupancy

The waste diverted is converted into a daily waste undiverted per occupant, using Equation 2.

Equation 2. Daily waste undiverted per occupant = (waste diverted / # days associated with waste total) / occupancy

The daily undiverted waste is calculated using Equation 3.

Equation 3. Daily undiverted waste per occupant = daily waste generated per occupant– daily waste diverted per occupant

The project’s calculated average daily waste generated per occupant AND average daily waste undiverted per occupant are input into the waste scoring function to calculate the waste performance score.

The waste scoring function was developed using waste information reported by LEED buildings certified under LEED O+M v2009. The data set includes buildings that pursued MR credit 6. Solid waste management – waste stream audit. See all forum discussions about this credit »

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Addenda

2/6/2023Updated: 2/9/2023
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Revise 5th paragraph to read as: "LEED points for this prerequisite are awarded for waste performance scores above 40, according to Table 1. "

Delete "Required" from first rows of Table 1.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
2/6/2023Updated: 2/9/2023
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Add the following language at the end of Step 2: "Include waste values for any shredded paper and electronic durable goods. Ensure the total weight of any electronic durable goods collected during an e-waste event does not include waste that was generated from occupant homes."

Under Step 4:
Revise bullets to read as:
" - Upload Arc Data Template
- Enter data directly"

Add the following to the paragraph under the bullet points: "Make sure the entire building’s waste streams are included. It is not sufficient to include only base building waste data."

Delete "Make sure all waste streams are included." from 3rd paragraph

Under Required Documentation, add "(initial certification projects only)" to the end of the first bullet.
Add the two following sub-bullets under the second bullet:
"o The reports must include the name of the organization that prepared the documentation and description of how the data was collected.
o If waste values have been estimated, provide a narrative explaining the method used. "
Revise this bullet to read as: "Waste performance score result"

Delete second bullet under "Changes from LEED v4"

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/25/2019Updated: 11/6/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Revise the 3rd paragraph to read as:

"If actual weight cannot be measured, the waste quantity may be converted to weight using an appropriate volume to weight conversion factor. Facility-specific or regional conversion factors may be available. The EPA also publishes volume to weight conversion factors (see their document Volume-to-weight conversion factors for solid waste). Waste quantity estimates based on the amount of waste in the waste container must take into account how full the container is (as opposed to assuming the waste container is full).

If the project shares waste collection with other buildings or spaces, pro-rating based on total number of occupants or other appropriate methodology (e.g. space type or square footage) is acceptable."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/25/2019Updated: 11/6/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Add the following bullet to the Required Documentation section:
- Description of collection, storage and disposal process for recyclable materials (including mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals), batteries and all lamps (indoor and outdoor, hard-wired and portable fixtures).
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/25/2019Updated: 7/30/2019
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Replace equations 1 through 5 with:

Equation 1. Average daily waste generated = (waste generated / # days associated with waste total) / occupancy
The waste diverted is converted into a daily waste undiverted per occupant, using Equation 2.
Equation 2. Daily waste undiverted per occupant = (waste diverted / # days associated with waste total) / occupancy
The daily undiverted waste is calculated using Equation 3.
Equation 3. Daily undiverted waste per occupant = daily waste generated per occupant– daily waste diverted per occupant
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/9/2019Updated: 4/9/2019
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Add "(Required)" after the 40 point threshold
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2019Updated: 4/9/2019
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
After the examples, edit the second to last paragraph to read as "The project’s calculated average daily waste generated per occupant AND average daily waste undiverted per occupant are input into the waste scoring function to calculate the waste performance score. "
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2019Updated: 4/9/2019
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
After the third bullet, edit the sentence to read "The waste generated is converted into an average daily waste generated per occupant, using Equation 1."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
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LEEDuser expert

Ashwini Arun

WSP
Senior Sustainability Manager

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USGBC logo

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

Requirements

Have in place storage locations for recyclable materials, including mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals. Safely store and dispose of batteries and all lamps (indoor and outdoor, hard-wired and portable fixtures).

Track and measure all ongoing waste and durable goods waste.

Measure the total weight of waste (in lbs., kg, or tons) that is generated, and the total weight that is diverted from landfills and incineration facilities for one full year or from a waste analysis. Exclude any facility renovations waste.

Input generated and diverted waste totals into the Arc platform, and calculate a Waste Performance Score for the project.

LEED points for this prerequisite are awarded for Waste Performance Scores above 40, according to Table 1.

Table 1. LEED Points for Waste Performance
Waste Performance Score LEED Points
40 3
44 4
57 5
69 6
82 7
94 8
Waste Performance Score
The waste performance score rates the resource consumption and resource use efficiency of the building (waste generated and diverted) against the consumption and efficiency of comparable high-performing buildings.

The score is a value from 1-100 based on the project’s total weight of waste generated and the total weight of waste diverted from landfills and incineration facilities.
Waste Performance Score calculation
To calculate waste performance score, the following data is required:
  • Total waste generated (lbs., kg, or tons)
  • Total waste diverted (lbs., kg, or tons)
  • Weighted occupancy
The waste generated is converted into an average daily waste generated per occupant, using Equation 1.

Equation 1. Average daily waste generated = (waste generated / # days associated with waste total) / occupancy

The waste diverted is converted into a daily waste undiverted per occupant, using Equation 2.

Equation 2. Daily waste undiverted per occupant = (waste diverted / # days associated with waste total) / occupancy

The daily undiverted waste is calculated using Equation 3.

Equation 3. Daily undiverted waste per occupant = daily waste generated per occupant– daily waste diverted per occupant

The project’s calculated average daily waste generated per occupant AND average daily waste undiverted per occupant are input into the waste scoring function to calculate the waste performance score.

The waste scoring function was developed using waste information reported by LEED buildings certified under LEED O+M v2009. The data set includes buildings that pursued MR credit 6. Solid waste management – waste stream audit.

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

LEEDuser expert

Ashwini Arun

WSP
Senior Sustainability Manager

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