How will the USGBC define the term "closed-loop recycling"? Businessdictionary.com defines closed-loop recycling as a "Production system in which the waste or byproduct of one process or product is used in making another product." The example provided is recycling waste newspaper to make paper-board or other types of paper. Would this be considered accurate? If so, does this include a product that is considered to be at the end of it's useful life (as mentioned in question 4 above)? And to what extent? In other words, will there be a minimum amount of recycled content derived from the closed-loop process? Also, because my company produces a panel product that cannot be recycled, could a take-back program be a scenario where "drop" material (or material leftover after sheets are fabricated into panels) is reclaimed and cut into small samples qualify? The same question can be posed to end-of-life material (or material pulled from an existing building).
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Batya Metalitz
Technical Director, LEEDUSGBC
LEEDuser Expert
318 thumbs up
January 5, 2011 - 5:42 pm
This question evoked some good comments from the Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Group. Here are a few of their insights:
The behavior we are trying to incent is to have manufacturers demonstrate an “Extended Producer Responsibility” by developing an infrastructure and the technology to take back and reuse/recycle their products (and competitor products in the category). The objective is to reduce the use of virgin material in the initial manufacture process. The cost to develop the take back infrastructure and to effectively develop technical recovery processes must be incented and rewarded so that those manufacturers truly change their process and show leadership in “mining the urban environment” This language is designed to provide the marketplace pull for these leadership behaviors.
The intent of the credit is to encourage post-consumer recycling, that is, recycling after the use phase. Over the public comment periods, the credit language would will be refined to make that intent more clear.