Tracking mixed recyclables off-site

Maria Luisa - My experience with vendors who do commingled collection is that they weigh and/or measure volume AFTER they have separated/sorted the materials - not before. I would say that the values provided to you need to be defensible (per the Reference Guide) and I cannot say for sure if weighing beforehand and visually estimating percentages would be. Does anyone have any experience with this that could supply a more definitive answer?

In my project, our CWM plan said that we will sort the waste onsite by 9 categories, wood, metal concrete debris, etc. Then construction begin and we don't have any place to placed our bins and also our people can not follow the procedure to sort the waste. So we change to sort the comingled waste outsite. 1. Do we need to change our CWM Plan? The third party is not a company, but it is a group of people collecting construction waste, sort it, and sell the materials that can still be used to factories, like plastic / metal. 1. It is allowed to do this? I also prepared with statement letter from the group of people. They make report every week to us, about the quantity (in kg) of every trip of waste coming and for every type of waste like we adjust at the CWM. So let me know to fill the LEED online form, do i must choose comingled/diverted for every type of waste. But if i choose comingled for example for wood waste i cannot fill 100% diverted. Please give any comment if what we have done is correct?

Anna - I consider the CWM Plan a living document, meaning it is updated to reflect changes throughout the actual construction. Since you planned to sort one way and the actual situation is different, I would update the CWM Plan - especially since the CWM Plan is turned in as part of the LEED construction application. Regarding your second #1 question, I haven't experienced a situation as you describe so I can't speak to whether or not it will be approved. However, it sounds like you are doing the right thing regarding the statement letter and frequency of reporting for backup. I would make sure that the statement letter includes information regarding the location of the sorting and that someone from your team has personally verified this location and the practices being employed - preferably with pictures for additional backup. On the v04 version of the LEED Online form, diverted or commingled was based on where the sorting was taking place. If sorting is off-site, then you should use commingled, which does require backup. (The v06 form indicates that you should use Diverted if 100% of the commingled waste is diverted from the landfill.) Regarding your question on wood, only include material diverted from the landfill in your entry. The remaining non-diverted material should be included in a Landfill Waste line item.

Thank you Michelle, I'am very appreciate your comment. Yes, i think we must revise our CWM to adjust with actual situation. Yes, the statement letter includes information regarding the location of the sorting facilities. I will make a plan to verified the sorting facilities monthly.