SPECIAL REPORT
LEEDuser expert
Dan Ackerstein
Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal
SPECIAL REPORT
LEEDuser’s viewpoint
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.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce the waste that is generated by building occupants and hauled to and disposed of in landfills and incinerators.
Requirements
Establishment
None.Performance
Maintain a waste reduction and recycling program that reuses, recycles, or composts the following:- at least 50% of the ongoing waste as specified in Materials and Resources Prerequisite: Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy (by weight or volume); and
- at least 75% of the durable goods waste as specified in Materials and Resources Prerequisite: Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy (by weight, volume or replacement value).
- all discarded batteries; and
- all mercury-containing lamps.
What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
What about exemplary performance?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.) |
How do we establish a diversion rate for recycled batteries when tracking recycling batteries is easy, but tracking batteries thrown in the trash is extremely difficult?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.) |
Addenda
If a building has earned U.S. Zero Waste Certification, can that certification be used to document LEED Operations and Maintenance credits?
Yes, if a building has earned USZWB certification and the scope of the project (i.e. project boundary) is the same as a project pursuing LEED Operations and Maintenance certification, the USZWB certification can be used to document the following LEED credits, provided the corresponding USZWBC credit is earned. A scorecard for the U.S. Zero Waste Business 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 5
Innovation credit for Exemplary Performance if at least 95% diversion is achieved
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.
Get the inside scoop
Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce the waste that is generated by building occupants and hauled to and disposed of in landfills and incinerators.
Requirements
Establishment
None.Performance
Maintain a waste reduction and recycling program that reuses, recycles, or composts the following:- at least 50% of the ongoing waste as specified in Materials and Resources Prerequisite: Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy (by weight or volume); and
- at least 75% of the durable goods waste as specified in Materials and Resources Prerequisite: Ongoing Purchasing and Waste Policy (by weight, volume or replacement value).
- all discarded batteries; and
- all mercury-containing lamps.
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.
What about exemplary performance?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.) |
How do we establish a diversion rate for recycled batteries when tracking recycling batteries is easy, but tracking batteries thrown in the trash is extremely difficult?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 building has earned U.S. Zero Waste Certification, can that certification be used to document LEED Operations and Maintenance credits?
Yes, if a building has earned USZWB certification and the scope of the project (i.e. project boundary) is the same as a project pursuing LEED Operations and Maintenance certification, the USZWB certification can be used to document the following LEED credits, provided the corresponding USZWBC credit is earned. A scorecard for the U.S. Zero Waste Business 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 5
Innovation credit for Exemplary Performance if at least 95% diversion is achieved
LEEDuser expert
Dan Ackerstein
Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal
