Log in

Search form

LEED v4.1
New Construction
Materials and Resources
Sourcing of Raw Materials

LEED CREDIT

NC-v4.1 MRc3: Sourcing of Raw Materials 1-2 points

See all forum discussions about this credit »

SPECIAL REPORT

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Tommy Linstroth

Green Badger
CEO

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

USGBC logo

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

Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products verified to have been extracted or sourced in a responsible manner.

Requirements

Responsible Sourcing of Raw Materials (1-2 points)
Use products sourced from at least three different manufacturers that meet at least one of the responsible sourcing and extraction criteria below for at least 15%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project (1 point).

Use products sourced from at least five different manufacturers that meet at least one of the responsible sourcing and extraction criteria below for at least 30%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project (2 points).

  • Extended producer responsibility. Products purchased from a manufacturer (producer) that participates in an extended producer responsibility program or is directly responsible for extended producer responsibility. Products meeting extended producer responsibility criteria are valued at 50% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Bio-based materials. Bio-based products and materials other than wood must be tested using ASTM Test Method D6866 or equivalent method ISO 16620-2, or be certified to the USDA BioPreferred Voluntary Labeling Initiative that includes verification via ASTM 6866 testing. Exclude hide products, such as leather and other animal skin material.
    • Bio-based products that meet the criteria above: value at 50% of cost multiplied by the biobased content of the product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Wood products. Wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or USGBC-approved equivalent. Products meeting wood products criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Materials reuse. Reuse includes salvaged, refurbished, or reused products. Products meeting materials reuse criteria are valued at 200% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Recycled content. Products meeting recycled content criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
For credit achievement calculation, products sourced (extracted, manufactured and purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at twice their base contributing cost, up to a maximum of 200% of cost. See all forum discussions about this credit »

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 »

Addenda

4/21/2023 – Updated: 5/9/2023
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Delete the second sub-bullet under the Bio Based Materials bullet.

Under Further Explanation, Calculating Bio Based Material Contributions, delete the second bullet and it's sub-bullet
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/21/2023 – Updated: 5/9/2023
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Delete the second sub-bullet under the Bio Based Materials bullet.

Under Further Explanation, Calculating Bio Based Material Contributions, delete the second bullet and it's sub-bullet
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 6/10/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
- Change the sentence to read: "Provide the following value from the Summary tab of the Building Materials Calculator:"
- Change the note to read: "Note: Sustainable criteria value must be at least 15% for 1 point, 30% for 2 points, and 45% for exemplary performance."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 6/10/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Updated to align with v4.1 April 2021 addenda
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 4/19/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Revise the credit thresholds in the first 2 paragraphs as follows:

"Use products sourced from at least three different manufacturers that meet at least one of the responsible sourcing and extraction criteria below for at least 15%, by cost,..."

Use products sourced from at least five different manufacturers that meet at least one of the responsible sourcing and extraction criteria below for at least 30%, by cost,..."

In the paragraph beginning with "For credit achievement calculation..." delete "or 2 products." from the end of the paragraph.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/9/2021 – Updated: 4/19/2021
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Under Step by Step Guidance and the second bullet under Required Documentation, change "20% "to "15%" and "40%" to "30%"

Under Exemplary Performance, change "60%" to "45%"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/10/2020 – Updated: 3/1/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
1. Remove “Building Product Disclosure and Optimization” from credit title
2. Under bio-based materials bullet, replace with following paragraph:

• Bio-based materials. Bio-based products and materials other than wood must be tested using ASTM Test Method D6866 or equivalent method ISO 16620-2, or be certified to the USDA BioPreferred Voluntary Labeling Initiative that includes verification via ASTM 6866 testing. Exclude hide products, such as leather and other animal skin material.

o Bio-based products that meet the criteria above: value at 50% of cost multiplied by the biobased content of the product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
o Bio-based products that meet the Sustainable Agriculture Network’s Sustainable Agriculture Standard in addition to the testing requirements above: value at 100% of cost multiplied by the biobased content of the product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.

3. Remove USGBC approved programs bullet
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/9/2020 – Updated: 11/30/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
1. Replace language under Documentation for wood and bio-based products with the following:
 Products with bio-based claims must be legally harvested by exporting and receiving country.
 Manufacturers/Programs must provide documentation on the specific product that includes the type of bio-based raw material used within the product. In addition, products must have either of the following:
o Confirmation the ASTM D6866 test method was conducted which validates the percent by weight of bio-based material within the product.
o Product has been certified to the USDA BioPreferred Program and includes the Voluntary Labeling verification of bio-based content via ASTM 6866 or ISO 16620-2 testing.

About the BioPreferred Voluntary Labeling initiative:
Some products listed on the United States Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred Program Catalog include a voluntary labeling logo that indicates the biobased content of the product has been verified per ASTM D6886 testing. www.biopreferred.gov/BioPreferred

3. Revise Required Documentation section to read:
Follow LEED v4 reference guide documentation requirements with the following modifications:
 Documentation requirements for Option 1 are no longer applicable.
 Instead, submit the LEED v4.1 MR Building Product calculator and documentation of product claims for credit requirements for either 20% by cost or 40% by cost threshold.
 For products that have been verified for LEED by GBCI, include ID numbers in the building product calculator. Additional documentation is not necessary to be included to LEED Online.



Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/14/2019 – Updated: 11/14/2019
Form Update
Description of change:
BPDO calculator published 11/08/2019
updated 11/14/2019 to correct row lock issue
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
See all forum discussions about this credit »

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.

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Tommy Linstroth

Green Badger
CEO

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.

USGBC logo

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

Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products verified to have been extracted or sourced in a responsible manner.

Requirements

Responsible Sourcing of Raw Materials (1-2 points)
Use products sourced from at least three different manufacturers that meet at least one of the responsible sourcing and extraction criteria below for at least 15%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project (1 point).

Use products sourced from at least five different manufacturers that meet at least one of the responsible sourcing and extraction criteria below for at least 30%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project (2 points).

  • Extended producer responsibility. Products purchased from a manufacturer (producer) that participates in an extended producer responsibility program or is directly responsible for extended producer responsibility. Products meeting extended producer responsibility criteria are valued at 50% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Bio-based materials. Bio-based products and materials other than wood must be tested using ASTM Test Method D6866 or equivalent method ISO 16620-2, or be certified to the USDA BioPreferred Voluntary Labeling Initiative that includes verification via ASTM 6866 testing. Exclude hide products, such as leather and other animal skin material.
    • Bio-based products that meet the criteria above: value at 50% of cost multiplied by the biobased content of the product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Wood products. Wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or USGBC-approved equivalent. Products meeting wood products criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Materials reuse. Reuse includes salvaged, refurbished, or reused products. Products meeting materials reuse criteria are valued at 200% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Recycled content. Products meeting recycled content criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
For credit achievement calculation, products sourced (extracted, manufactured and purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at twice their base contributing cost, up to a maximum of 200% of cost.

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Tommy Linstroth

Green Badger
CEO

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Unsubscribe from discussions about NC-v4.1 MRc3