Batteries - annual actual diversion performance verification

Jean, did you review the earlier discussion on this topic? That's a good starting place.

Jean You've hit on a weak area here..basically do what you want but have method to show the reviewer that you've completed the program. Much of this will come from how much you're disposing of...in a very large complex there are several 'recycling companies' that deal only with batteries (they produce a wonderful report showing all the breakdown of mercury, cadmium, etc...but of course that type of service costs!). If you are small complex then there may be only a couple of handfulls per month. Bag them and take these to your local recycling centre, they 'may' give you a receipt, but it's doubtful. So in this situation just go ahead and record on the recycling numbers what you consider the correct amount of weight. At the end of the day you really should be commended for at least making the effort to quantify the total. Regards

Hi Barry, How do we define diversion here? The amount of collected material not sent to landfill compared to the weight of batteries purchased by the project? Or the amount of material that is recycled into a raw material for future application compared to the weight of batteries purchased by the project? The second definition would be called recycling rate, while the first definition diversion rate. (http://www.cmconsultinginc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Battery-June-2012-SWRMag.pdf) Said that, it is very hard to compare batteries purchased and discarded. Some batteries may be used for very long periods on different appliances. The LEED Online form does not ask for documents, only for the method used to estimate diversion performance. Where you ever asked by a reviewer to explain how the project verifies annually the battery diversion method? Thanks in advance,

Noriko, what GBCI are asking for is the ratio between 'materials recycled' and 'materials sent to the landfill'.....not against 'purchased materials'. So for example, furniture that has been donated (rather than trashed) from a building can be quantified and the number classed as 'materials recycled'. Your comment concerning the batteries is however very valid. If we look at purchasing as a component of final disposal then making an effort NOT to purchase something is going to help us at disposal time...therefore making a concerted effort to initially purchase batteries that are rechargeable (and all the associated equipment that that entails) will reduce the amount of batteries that appear in the waste stream.