Hello, we are currently working on a new building under LEED V4, and we have doubts regarding what is considered a material "stream".
Our current solution involves a Certified Waste Management service that is authorized to remove and transport our materials to recycling facilities. This service picks up two containers that contain the 5 materials we have targeted to divert from landfills, they later separate these materials and send them to different facilities that recycle in their own way (every time the containers are taken, we are handed a report that indicates the amount of each material that was recycled).
Considering that we can get ahold of the information regarding how each of the 5 materials are treated and what percentage of it has been recycled individually, does this allow us to comply with 5 streams? Or as they're all being recycled does it just count as 1 single stream?
Thank you.
Christopher Russell-King
ArchitectConsultora Pasiva Ltda.
6 thumbs up
October 2, 2018 - 4:42 pm
Based on another answer, I watched the following video: https://www.usgbc.org/resources/defining-waste-streams
At around the minute 2:55 they say "Sending commingled waste to a mixed waste reciclying facility counts as a single waste stream, regardless of how many different materials are included. However, if a reciclying facility can track and produce documentation of specific materials recycled for that projects waste, you can count commingled waste as multiple waste streams."
From what I can gather, this means that with our method (which I mentioned above), we are achieving the 5 streams required as a minimum, as the Waste Management facility will provide us with documentation detailing the specific amount of each material recycled, as well as information regarding where the materials are taken to be recycled (in this case it's different facilities for each material).
RETIRED
LEEDuser Expert
623 thumbs up
October 3, 2018 - 11:57 am
Christopher - As a LEEDuser Basic Member, you can't see the LEEDuser's Viewpoint (Guidance) text that has some additional clarifications and resources for materials streams, which might be helpful to you.
At first I thought I would just reply to you: "Based on your description that you get project-specific data for your hauls, I say you have 5 streams." BUT I am not sure how they hand you that report when they pick up the containers. If they are doing that, then they are giving you (possibly) the average diversion rate for the facility. There have been numerous posts under MRc5 that USGBC is not allowing teams to count waste as multiple streams in a commingled collection scenario that only has the average diversion rates for the facility. Reviewers are ONLY accepting project-specific data as multiple streams if commingled collection is used. (Check out https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/forum/regulation-commingled-recycling-facilities and https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/forum/filling-out-cd-waste-calculator).
Can you clarify that you are getting project-specific rates or average diversion rates for the facility?
Christopher Russell-King
ArchitectConsultora Pasiva Ltda.
6 thumbs up
October 2, 2018 - 6:11 pm
Michelle, thank you for your quick response.
Regarding the information provided to us by the hauler, they send us a monthly report that indicates:
- The amount of waste they removed in M3 during 1 month (waste referring to the two containers that only have the 5 materials we are targetting for diversion)
- The percentage of each individual material that was collected that month (for example, they tell us 20m3 was removed this month in total, and out of those 20m3, 7.5% is plastic, 10% is paper, 45% concrete, 25% wood, 12,5% metals)
- The facilities to which each material was taken for recycling.
Would this information be enough? Or do we need to know, for example, that out of that 7.5% of plastic that was taken to the recycling facility, x% of it was effectively recycled?
I hope this clears up your doubts and helps understand our current situation! Thank you very much!
Tiffany Beffel
Managing PartnerInnovative Workshop Consulting
LEEDuser Expert
22 thumbs up
October 3, 2018 - 12:08 pm
Hi Christopher. It sounds to me like you have the proper documentation to show quantities that are recycled in your commingled situation. As long as the hauler provides you with a report (proof) of quantities, materials, and where the materials were recycled (facility), then you can count them as individual material streams. With the plastic, paper, concrete, wood, and metals you have identified, it sounds like you have your five individual streams. The only reason that a commingled situation would count as one waste stream is if the facility could not provide project-specific breakdowns. Based on what you have indicated, it doesn't seem this way to me, and it sounds like your hauler is providing you with what you need.
Christopher Russell-King
ArchitectConsultora Pasiva Ltda.
6 thumbs up
October 3, 2018 - 4:15 pm
Tiffany, thank you for your reply. Basically our system would follow these steps:
1. All 5 materials are collected in two containers (commingled) on the project site.
2. Our hauler service takes both containers and separates the 5 materials in their own facility. They hand us a document that details both the volume (m3) of waste and the percentage of each material found in the containers (they detail this information every time they take away the containers, and hand it in in a monthly report).
3. The hauler then delivers each separated material to different recycling facilities (we have a formal report from the hauler that details which recycling facilities each material is delivered to).
- My only concern is regarding the recycling average. I don't think we'd be able to know, for example, if the hauler took 10m3 of wood, what exact amount of those 10m3 was recycled. We'd only manage the average recycling rates of each facility (for example, the wood recycling facility can tell us that they manage to recycle 90% of the wood they receive, then we can assume that out of those 10m3, 9m3 has been recycled).
If you could clear up this final doubt for me I'd really appreciate it. Thank you very much!
Tiffany Beffel
Managing PartnerInnovative Workshop Consulting
LEEDuser Expert
22 thumbs up
October 12, 2018 - 11:02 am
Hi Christopher,
If the report that your hauler gives you indicates the material streams, the quantities of each stream, and the location of the recycling facility where each material stream went to (as you indicated in #3 above), then you do not need to know the recycling average of the facility. The recycling average of the facility is specific to commingled scenarios where separate material streams cannot be effectively identified and measured. This doesn't seem to be your case as you have indicated. Additionally, the recycling average is specific to the hauler that actually removes the materials from the project site, not the individual recycling facilities where the diverted material ultimately went to from the hauler.
Does this help to further clarify?
Christopher Russell-King
ArchitectConsultora Pasiva Ltda.
6 thumbs up
October 17, 2018 - 8:48 am
Hi Tiffany, thank you for all your help. I think it's far more clear now.
There's one thing which I forgot to ask, which is probably far easier to answer: when the credit says you have to create 5 streams, do they all need to be different "strategies" of diversion from the landfill? (for example, there has to be at least one stream that involves donation, another one recycling, another one reusing, etc.)
Or can it be 5 streams that use the same "strategy" to divert from the landfill? For example, just doing recycling for all 5 materials, yet obviously tracking each material individually (ie. not commingled).
I hope you can help us with this last doubt we have! Thank you!
Tiffany Beffel
Managing PartnerInnovative Workshop Consulting
LEEDuser Expert
22 thumbs up
October 17, 2018 - 3:07 pm
Hi Christopher. It does not need to be different strategies for diversion. All of your streams can be recycled or they can be diverted in different ways. If you have the opportunity to work with your team to explore alternatives to traditional recycling, that is great. But, at this point, it isn't a requirement for LEED to have different strategies as long as you have the identified 5 material waste streams.