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LEED v4
Existing Schools
Materials and Resources

Solid waste management - ongoing

LEED CREDIT

Schools-EBOM-v4 MRc4: Solid waste management - ongoing 2 points

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SPECIAL REPORT

LEEDuser expert

Dan Ackerstein

Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal

SPECIAL REPORT

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Credit language

USGBC logo

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

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).
In addition, safely dispose of the following:
  • all discarded batteries; and
  • all mercury-containing lamps.
K–12 schools may exclude food waste from the final performance calculations of the total building waste stream by meeting both of the following requirements.
  • Provide documentation that food waste composting services are not available in the region or are not economically feasible, based on the school or district’s operational budget for solid waste management.
  • During the performance period, implement an awareness program that encourages occupants to reduce food waste. Compliant programs should include at least two of the following:
  1. signage in food service and cafeteria areas;
  2. food service employee training on reducing waste in food preparation and selecting menu options to reduce the potential for food waste; and
  3. extracurricular activities or student organizations that promote awareness of the environmental benefits associated with composting food waste.
See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

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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.

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Frequently asked questions

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?

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What about exemplary performance?

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

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See all forum discussions about this credit »

Addenda

7/1/2016
LEED Interpretation
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 »

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

Dan Ackerstein

Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal

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.

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).
In addition, safely dispose of the following:
  • all discarded batteries; and
  • all mercury-containing lamps.
K–12 schools may exclude food waste from the final performance calculations of the total building waste stream by meeting both of the following requirements.
  • Provide documentation that food waste composting services are not available in the region or are not economically feasible, based on the school or district’s operational budget for solid waste management.
  • During the performance period, implement an awareness program that encourages occupants to reduce food waste. Compliant programs should include at least two of the following:
  1. signage in food service and cafeteria areas;
  2. food service employee training on reducing waste in food preparation and selecting menu options to reduce the potential for food waste; and
  3. extracurricular activities or student organizations that promote awareness of the environmental benefits associated with composting food waste.

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.

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.)

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.)

7/1/2016
LEED Interpretation
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

LEEDuser expert

Dan Ackerstein

Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Schools-EBOM-v4 MRc4