1.Incineration may be considered "if reuse and recycling methods are not readily available"...........How will Reviewers define "readily available"?
2. How would you treat a community that has a combination waste to energy plant with a recycling plant attached? Could I theoretically achieve 100% diversion say if what wasn't recycled was incinerated in a waste to energy plant?
3. Reference Guide says waste to energy plants must meet European Commission Waste Framework......... yada yada yada....blah blah blah. Are there any waste to energy incinerators in US that meet these requirements or is this really just USGBC throwing a bone to EU projects?
You rely on LEEDuser. Can we rely on you?
LEEDuser is supported by our premium members, not by advertisers.
Go premium for
RETIRED
LEEDuser Expert
623 thumbs up
May 8, 2017 - 1:15 pm
James - Good questions. Here's my attempt to answer:
1. I am not sure how the review team will define readily available. The Reference Guide furthers this statement by saying: "if reuse and recycling methods are not readily available in the project’s location." If it were me, I would ensure I could show that there were no recycling opportunities within a several hundred mile radius of my project's location, but please know this is my own opinion. In addition, if any methods existed (but were limited), I would want to be able to say that my team had utilized those methods before looking at incineration.
2.I would say only if the waste-to-energy plant could meet the stated requirements in the Reference Guide.
3.Although I followed the development of LEED v4 back when it was called LEED 2012 and reviewed the public comments in 2011+, I don't know USGBC's intentions behind including this.(You might check search for public comment on USGBC's website to read the public comments. For instance, here's the link to responses to the 6th public comments - http://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-v4-6th-public-comment-responses.) Nor am I aware of any waste-to-energy plants that meet these requirements in the United States; however, I have not looked either because none of my projects have attempted to use incineration as a diversion strategy.
I hope if other LEEDusers have additional information they can share their insights.