I am getting conflicting information about the allowable extraction/harvesting point for recycled content in materials. One of our consultants made a statement that if a material was comprised of X% of recycled content, you could count all of it towards the regional materials credit as long as the manufacturing plant is within your 500 mile radius. But I have read on this site that unless you can prove that the steel came from a recycling plant or that it was recovered from a site also within that 500 mile radius, then it does not count. If someone could help me settle this dispute I would really appreciate it.

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Tristan Roberts

Representative

Vermont House of Representatives

LEEDuser Expert

7780 thumbs up

Mon, 12/17/2012 - 21:23

Sara, I would ask the consultant for the source of their information on this. Although there are some gray areas and technicalities around some aspects of this credit and MRc4, there is no clear-cut exception by which recycled content can automatically be called regional.Note that the point structure in LEED-CI is a little different than in other rating systems—you can get partial credit for regional manufacture only.Also, since I have seen you post under the LEED for Homes forum, I will note that if this is about LEED-H, I am less familiar with its requirements.

Sara Heppe

Architect

PF&A Design

LEEDuser Basic Member

11 thumbs up

Mon, 12/17/2012 - 21:30

This question is strictly for a LEED-NC 2009 application. I have a feeling that our consultant is just misinformed. I just wanted to verify that no one knew about a CIR that clarifies this question a little more. Thanks for your help, I will ask that our consultant show the source of their information. Until then I will instruct our contractor to request information from the manufacturer about the source of their recycled content.

Taylor Ralph

President

REAL Building Consultants

LEEDuser Premium Member

27 thumbs up

Wed, 12/26/2012 - 16:43

In all of our recent project reviews, the review teams are now asking for documentation that any scrap metal that was used to make steel/etc. with recycled content was also obtained by the manufacturer within 500 miles of the project per the MRc5 requirements.

Tristan Roberts

Representative

Vermont House of Representatives

LEEDuser Expert

7780 thumbs up

Wed, 12/26/2012 - 16:51

Taylor, if you are claiming that recycled steel for MRc5 as well as for MRc4, it seems reasonable to have to provide that documentation, and in keeping with the credit requirements. However, I realize that it may be a shift from what you've seen in previous reviews.

Taylor Ralph

President

REAL Building Consultants

LEEDuser Premium Member

27 thumbs up

Wed, 12/26/2012 - 17:01

In previous reviews this documentation was not required, and it was approved as 'regional' including the recycled content. I am clarifying above that 'yes' you have to show that the scrap/recycled content came from within 500 miles of the project site as well as the fabrication/manufacture point of the end-material. For LEED-H this documentation is not required other than a letter showing Regionality of the end-material, as the requirements are less stringent than LEED NC/CI/Commercial projects.

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Recycled content counted as a regional material

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