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What is LEED?

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System^TM is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. It is a self-assessing measurement tool, based on a point system, which focuses on a number of design and construction strategies aimed at reducing a building’s environmental footprint. The rating system is divided into five environmental categories with opportunities for innovation credits as well. The accumulation of credits or points, awarded for compliance with requirements defined by the rating system, determines the level of certification of that building — certified, silver, gold, or platinum. For more information about the U.S. Green Building Council and to access the complete LEED rating system and updates, please visit new.usgbc.org.

Leed Disposal Specifications

MR Credit 2.1: Construction Waste Management: Divert 50% From Disposal

1 Point

Intent
Divert construction, demolition, and land-clearing debris from disposal in landfills and incinerators. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to the manufacturing process. Redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites.

Requirements
Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris. Develop and implement a construction waste management plan that, at a minimum, identifies the materials to be diverted from disposal and whether the materials will be sorted on site or comingled. Excavated soil and land-clearing debris do not contribute to this credit. Calculations can be done by weight or volume, but must be consistent throughout.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Establish goals for diversion from disposal in landfills and incinerators and adopt a construction waste management plan to achieve these goals. Consider recycling cardboard, metal, brick, acoustical tile, concrete, plastic, clean wood, glass, gypsum wallboard, carpet, and insulation. Designate a specific area(s) on the construction site for segregated or comingled collection of recyclable materials and track recycling efforts throughout the construction process. Identify construction haulers and recyclers to handle the designated materials. Note that diversion may include donation of materials to charitable organizations and salvage of materials on site.

MR Credit 2.2: Construction Waste Management: Divert 75% From Disposal

1 Point in addition to MR Credit 2.1

Intent
Divert construction and demolition debris from disposal in landfills and incinerators. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to the manufacturing process. Redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites.

Requirements
Recycle and/or salvage an additional 25% beyond MR Credit 2.1 (75% total) of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris. Excavated soil and land-clearing debris do not contribute to this credit. Calculations can be done by weight or volume, but must be consistent throughout.

Potential Technologies & Strategies
Establish goals for diversion from disposal in landfills and incinerators and adopt a construction waste management plan to achieve these goals. Consider recycling cardboard, metal, brick, acoustical tile, concrete, plastic, clean wood, glass, gypsum wallboard, carpet, and insulation. Designate a specific area(s) on the construction site for segregated or comingled collection of recyclable materials and track recycling efforts throughout the construction process. Identify construction haulers and recyclers to handle the designated materials. Note that diversion may include donation of materials to charitable organizations and salvage of materials on site.