waste auditing timeline

Hi Rachael -

You are correct that all of the performance periods need to end at the same time, though this “alignment window” has been changed from 7 days to 30 days (see the Reference Guide Addenda at www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6395).

The performance period for this credit has the same requirements as all other performance periods - it must be at least 3 months in length, but no more than 24 months in length. The actual waste audit you conduct must occur within that performance period, but your waste audit can be of a day's waste, or of a week's waste, or some time period in between. You do not need to audit all the waste produced during the performance period.

A waste audit is a one-time activity that gives you a snapshot of your waste streams and helps you identify methods to improve waste diversion. For credits such as MRc7 (Solid Waste Management - Ongoing Consumables), on the other hand, you would need to quantify the waste diverted over the entire performance period; this credit focuses on quantifying ongoing performance. MRc6 (Solid Waste Management - Waste Stream Audit), on the other hand, is about analyzing your waste stream in detail and identifying opportunities for improvement. MRc6 is not concerned with your exact level of performance but instead focuses on processes to help you improve diversion rates.

We have been asked to conduct a waste stream audit by the certification team after preliminary review (consequently, after the performance period).

My queries:

1) How does this affect the performance period if we do conduct one now?

2) Will it be acceptable to conduct one even if it is after the performance period for all other credits?

3) Do we need to move all the performance periods in order to get this point? Note: earliest credits and pre-requisites related to energy and atmosphere started Jan 2009 and closed Oct 2010, therefore the end of performance period for this intended credit if ever, will be more than 30 days compared to end of performance periods of the rest of the submitted documents.

Hoping for advise from anyone.

For this particular credit, you're allowed to conduct a new audit if requested by the review team in your preliminary review comments. You do not need to adjust any performance periods in your application. Just perform the new audit according to the instructions in your preliminary review and provide the revised documentation in your resubmittal.

I'm surprised to not see other Hospitality sector buildings on here...Our client is a Convention Center with an irregular waste stream that is based on show activity. Would you suggest we conduct the audit when the building is essentially unoccupied (with exception of staff) OR when there is a show in the building... if you recommend the latter, waste stream fluctuates before, during and after the show so would we want to capture the highest volume time? It is difficult to determine a "representative" set. Thank you!

So the good book says 'during the performance period', but when is that for you?. I suppose one could take the initiative and suggest that the audit is in fact completed when there is trash for auditing. This is where the book doesn't fit the actual operation of the building. My suggestion is to complete two audits.

Hi Barry, the performance period issue is OK but you brought up a good point that got me thinking on the 2 separate audits. The building has 2 concourses, for LEED purposes its one building, but for show activity its two. That said, the waste streams are unique and independent of each other during the time we are planning to conduct the audit. Could we justify doing two audits, 1 for each concourse? We would ofcourse follow some of the other suggestions posted here as to how we make this justifiable. Doing this would give the most accurate and representative data, which is the goal and the intent.

Each Concourse...not really. I'm assuming that the waste stream/recycling is in fact held in one holding area until pickup, that is a single recycling compactor, single trash bin, etc. You already said that it's one building for the purposes of LEED, don't give the GBCI room to manouver as to why you want to do two audits!!!!

There are 14 compactors and 6 open tops evenly divided among the 2 dock areas, which are on opposite sides of the building corresponding with the 2 concourses. Pick ups are done on separate days or with a fleet of trucks depending on if the show is taking up both concourses. So, since we are doing at a time where there are 2 separate shows and individual waste streams would this be justifiable

OK, I see that, but in reality if you have designed/written a comprehensive 'waste policy', then one, two or three locations shouldn't matter, they 'should' all be recycling at the same rate and therefore the two audits that you undertake 'should' have the same results. What may vary is that some shows will produce more of one type of trash item than another.
Ok, so do the two audits in the two separate shows...if the numbers are different be really clear as to why they are different.