Date
Inquiry

Our LEED NC v2.2 registered project includes pursuit of MRc2 - Construction Waste Management credits and we would like to know if our strategy for compliance is acceptable. We have been actively sorting and recycling wood, concrete/masonry, metals, cardboard, paper and plastic in a region of the country which has severely limited available CDL recycling facilities, due primarily to the negative impacts of hurricane Katrina in 2005. To date, approximately 16,000CY of excavated soil from our project site has been removed and donated to a non-profit, private school to assist in preparing their site on campus facility expansions. The school site is located approximately 500 feet from our project site. If the excavated soil were to have been hauled off to a landfill, the travel distance would have been greater than 25 miles one-way. It is projected that an additional 1,000CY of excavated soil from the project site will also be made available to the school as our project progresses. We are aware the LEED NC v2.2 MRc2 - Construction Waste Management credit requirements indicate excavated soil does not contribute to this credit, however the excavated soil was donated to a neighboring school which the credit requirements make special note that ".diversion may include donation of materials to charitable organizations.". We believe we are meeting the intent of the credit by diverting construction and demolition debris from disposal in area landfills and in addition, we are significantly reducing environmental impact from transportation vehicle emissions and providing a non-profit organization with materials to provide site expansion.

Ruling

While your strategy for handling excavated soil provides environmental benefit in reduced transportation of materials, it does not justify inclusion of excavated soil in MRc2. It is understood that many projects face challenges related to local market conditions for recycling. However, the weight of the soil would overwhelm the total amount of construction and demolition waste and enable credit achievement without addressing those impacts. As a result, the donated soil cannot be included in MRc2. You may want to consider evaluating the environmental benefits of the soil donation in the context of overall project emissions during construction and applying for an Innovation credit. Applicable Internationally.

Internationally Applicable
On
Campus Applicable
Off