There is a Company which has sent to us some certificates indicating their ceramic tiles have different percentages of pre-consumer recycled content (depending on the model) according to the next phrase:
"recycling of ceramic waste derived from the pre-firing phase of the production process. The unfired tiles which do not comply with our top quality standards are reintroduced into the productive process."
We have doubts about their contribution as eventhough the recycled content comes from the same manufacturing process, this waste is not generated at the final of the manufacturing line. Can this post-industrial content be counted for LEED or is it exempt as mentioned above?. Thanks so much!!!!
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Jon Clifford
LEED-AP BD+CGREENSQUARE
LEEDuser Expert
327 thumbs up
July 15, 2014 - 2:25 pm
The process described sounds like internal reclamation, not recycling. Reusing unfired clay is a normal practice in the ceramics industry. This practice does not divert material from landfills, and it does not qualify as recycling.
Ceramics factories sometimes also reuse what they call “grog” or “pitchers,” which are crushed remnants of fired clay. Neither does this qualify as recycling if the material comes from the same process that produces the final product.
I am aware of one US tile maker that purchases rejected porcelain from a plumbing fixture manufacturer, crushes it, and incorporates the material into the clay for their tiles. This example qualifies as pre-consumer recycling.
MKK LEED
MKK Consulting Engineers1 thumbs up
August 23, 2016 - 11:52 am
Hi Jon,
Do you know if water closets are included in the Total Material Cost? It is a permanent installed material made of ceramic but it is a plumbing equipment too, so is confusing if we should include or exclude that product of our total materials cost.
Thank you,
Jon Clifford
LEED-AP BD+CGREENSQUARE
LEEDuser Expert
327 thumbs up
August 24, 2016 - 6:52 am
As noted in the LEED-2009 Reference Guides, MR Credits 3 through 7 only permit you to include materials and costs from CSI-MasterFormat-2004 Divisions 3 through 10 and Sections 31.60.00, 32.10.00, 32.30.00, & 32.90.00, plus optional Division 12 furniture.
This excludes products that fall into other CSI classifications (such as equipment, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, earthwork, irrigation, utilities, transportation, marine work, demolition, and temporary construction). CSI classifies water closets in Section 22.40.00 Plumbing Fixtures, so they cannot figure into the MR Credit calculations for LEED-2009.
However, as noted in the discussion above, if porcelain plumbing fixtures are crushed and used as an ingredient in clay tile, which CSI classifies in Division 09 Finishes, the cost of the tiles would be included in the Total Material Cost, and their recycled content would contribute toward MRc4.