Dear all:
Our project has company-wide recycling programs set up which collect mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals.However,there are many products made up of different types of materials,for example light bulb is made up of glass,plastic and metal.So it is diffcult to classify the light bulb into a type of recovered material. Furthermore our project is a high-rise building and it is trouble to set up different types of collection boxes on each floor. If we set up a collection box on each floor to collect all types of waste, and there are no more different types of collection boxes to collect waste. Then the waste recycling company will pick up the collection box and reclassify all the material wastes.Is this acceptable?
Thank you for answering my question!!!
Kimberly Schlaepfer
Sustainability Coordinator LEED AP O+M, BD+C74 thumbs up
October 5, 2017 - 4:15 pm
Dear Jianzhushe,
I think we would need to know more information about the recycling hauler processes. Is the recycling single-stream or does the recycling company require sorting of materials prior to collection? If they collect the recycling as single-stream, there is no need to have separate collection boxes for each material type. If the recycling hauler wishes the recycling be sorted prior to hauling it, they separate collection boxes would make sense. I would recommend working with the future facilities managers/cleaning services of the building to determine the best process for collecting and storing recyclables per building floor and transporting those bins to the ground floor for hauling.
Regarding the light bulbs, these should be recycled separately from the other recyclable materials, because they require special handling to recycling, similar to batteries. You may need to locate a recycling company that specifically handles recycling of light bulbs.
I hope that helps!
Jianzhushe Lili's
L GEESOctober 9, 2017 - 11:57 pm
Dear Kimberly
Thank you for your reply.
From your perspective, the collection of recyclables can be single-stream, and give all the recyclables to the recycling company to let them do the separating work? But most recycling companies only recover the single type of material, like electronic products or mixed papers, which result in the separation of each material and the recording of the quantity of them. In this condition, we need to allocate separate collection boxes. But it is difficult for a high-rise building to allocate so many boxes in every floor(no enough space, and it will add the working load).
So could we just allocate daily waste box and recyclable box in each floor, and separate collection boxes at the building's total garbage collection area? We will have workers to do separation work after all the recycling materials are collected from each floor. Of course the light bulbs and the batteries will have their own boxes for collection.
Thanks!
Kimberly Schlaepfer
Sustainability Coordinator LEED AP O+M, BD+C74 thumbs up
October 10, 2017 - 10:58 am
Hi Jianzhushe,
Yes, I think that sounds like a great strategy given the size of the building. Ensure the buildings total garbage collection area is appropriately sized to accommodate the sorting and collection of the waste generated for the entire building, and you should be good.
Thanks!
Jianzhushe Lili's
L GEESOctober 11, 2017 - 6:17 am
Thanks a lot!
Youssef Hisham
December 2, 2021 - 7:38 am
In case of commingled recycling, Shall I need to submit the agreement between me and the recylcing company as a prove for the reviewer ???
Afogreen Build
www.afogreenbuild.comGreen Building Consultant
212 thumbs up
December 21, 2021 - 6:06 pm
Hi Youssef,
LEED doesn’t ask about the agreement. But you have to describe the 3rd parties in the construction waste management plan, who is handle what from the expected generated wastes, the company information (such as address, telephone, website, etc.).
Aside from that, if you use 3rd parties for commingled recycling, then you have to submit the report from the 3rd parties showing the hauling quantity and the percentage of recycling.
Thanks and regards.
emily reese moody
Sustainability Director, Certifications & ComplianceJacobs
LEEDuser Expert
450 thumbs up
December 21, 2021 - 6:38 pm
A little more clarity to the comment above:
The information needed for the construction waste management plan is specific only to waste generated during the demo/construction process. This prerequisite addresses ongoing operational waste.
Youssef, commingled recyclables are common in most of my projects here. We have not yet been asked to provide any documentation specific to individual hauler practices or agreements. It probably won't hurt to include it if you feel it is needed, but it's generally advisable to stick to providing only what the credit form asks for. If you have a special circumstance, that's where a little narrative and some support can go a long way in preventing uneccsary review comments.
In the context of the MR credit for commingled waste, it is correct that you then need additional documentation to support claims of waste streams, as outlined in that credit language.