Your team must develop and adopt a compliant ongoing purchasing and waste policy to achieve LEED certification, since this is a prerequisite policy.

However, you only have to demonstrate actual compliance with the policy if you pursue the related credits. The exception to this (here’s the curveball!) is for ongoing waste diversion. This prerequisite requires you to either divert 75% of ongoing waste (and achieve MRc4: Solid Waste Management – Ongoing), or conduct a waste audit.

Project teams should definitely use the template created by USGBC as the foundation for the policy (see the Doc Toolkit). Customizing the template is encouraged so that the policy reflects your building’s operational practices. But remember that all prerequisite requirements must be addressed, so take care when removing or adjusting content.

What’s New in LEED v4

• This prerequisite is a combination of two LEED 2009 prerequisites, MRp1: Sustainable Purchasing Policy and MRp2: Solid Waste Management Policy.
• Teams must now determine the top five most purchased product categories and address them in the policy.
• A minimum ongoing waste diversion requirement has been added to this prerequisite. Projects that don’t meet the diversion requirement and achieve MRc4: Solid Waste Management – Ongoing must perform a waste audit.
• Furniture is now covered by the facility maintenance and renovations prerequisite and credits—it is no longer considered a “durable good”.
• Minimum recyclable storage requirements have been added to align with the prerequisite criteria in the BD&C v4 rating systems.

Readiness Review Questions

• Do you have purchasing data available to help you determine the top five product categories purchased at your building? What sustainability criteria are relevant for each product category?
• What are the different components of the building waste stream? Which waste streams are within the building and site management’s control? 

• Who will be responsible for managing and enforcing the various aspects of this policy? How will the responsible parties track, measure and evaluate both purchasing and waste management? 

• What are the building’s goals for purchasing and waste management? How will targets be assessed? 

• What actions are necessary for the policy to take effect prior to the start of the performance period?
• How can you involve your vendors in supporting your goals? 

• If less than 75% of ongoing waste is diverted, thereby requiring a waste audit, who will perform the audit? Does the project team have the time and resources to conduct the audit? Or does it make more sense for the waste hauler to conduct the audit?
• Is there a location onsite where waste can be sorted and audited? Does the building have enough space for staff to sort the materials and conduct the audit onsite, or will off-site processing be necessary?