MATERIAL AND RESOURCES,

AND REGIONAL PRIORITY

Daniella Siewerdt and Joo Pedro Melo dos Santos Gazeto

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

40% of total solid waste stream in the U.S.

Minimize the impacts caused to the environment by the building material,

from their extraction to disposal

80 million tons of waste from landfills today

540 million tons in 2030

construction debris is no longer waste, it is a resource.

Storage and Collection of Recyclables

Intent
To reduce the waste generated by the construction inhabitants and give
them a proper disposal.
Requirements

Dedicated area, accessible by the inhabitants and waste haulers, being able
to collect and storage the recyclable materials (mixed paper, corrugated
cardboard, glass, plastics and metals)
Disposal of batteries, mercury-containing lamps and electronic waste must
be collected appropriately
Waste stream study

Construction and Demolition Waste

Management Planning
Intent
Reduce, reuse, recycle and convert waste to energy waste disposed of in
landfills and incineration facilities.
Requirements

Establishing where the waste generated by a building should go

Specify if materials are going to be separated or mixed
The final report must contain the disposal and diversion rates for the
separated or commingled materials

PBT Source Reduction - Mercury

Intent
Substitute, capture and recycle mercury-containing products and devices and
mercury release.
Requirements - Healthcare
What is going to be collected
How they are going to be handled by the recycling program
Disposal methods

Building Life-cycle Impact Reduction

Intent
Reuse and optimize the environmental performance of products and materials
in the project.
Requirements
Option 1. Historic Building Reuse (5 points)

Maintain their structure, envelope, and interior nonstructural elements

Local or national standards for rehabilitation

Option 2. Renovation of Abandoned or Blighted Building (5 points)

50% of the surface are from the building structure, enclosure, and interior
structural elements should be maintained
Up to 25% of the building surface area can be excluded from the credit
calculation

Building life-cycle impact reduction

Option 3. Building and Material Reuse (2-4 points)

Points are given according to the reuse or salvage of building materials as a

percentage of the surface area of the completed project

Option 4. Whole-Building Life-Cycle Assessment (3 points)

Life-cycle assessment of the structure and enclosure should have at least a

10% reduction if compared to a baseline building

Building Product Disclosure and Optimization

Environmental Product Declarations
Intent
Use of products and materials that have environmentally, economically and
socially preferable life-cycle impacts. Products that are verified by
manufacturers.
Option 1. Environmental product declaration (EPD) (1 point)

Product specific declaration (ISO 14044)

Environmental product declarations

Option 2. Multi-Attribute Optimization (1 point)

Third party certified products that demonstrate impact reduction

Other USGBC approved program

ISO - International Organization for Standardization

Building Product Disclosure and Optimization

Sourcing of Raw Materials
Intent
It was made to reward those that rather products that are extracted or
sourced in a responsible manner.
Option 1. Raw Material Source and Extraction Reporting (1 point)

CSR - Corporate Sustainability Reports

Option 2. Leadership Extraction Practices (1 point)

Extended producer responsibility, bio-based materials, wood products,

materials
Reuse, recycled content, USGBC approved program.
USGBC - U.S. Green Building Council

Building Product Disclosure and Optimization

Material Ingredients
Intent
Products for which the chemical ingredients in the product are generated
using an accepted methodology and for selecting products verified to minimize
the use and generation of harmful substances.
Option 1. Material Ingredient Reporting (1 point)
Manufacturer inventory, health product declaration, cradle to cradle
Option 2. Material Ingredient Optimization (1 point)
GreenScreen v1.2 Benchmark, cradle-to-cradle certified, international
alternative compliance path
Option 3. Product Manufacturer Supply Chain Optimization (1 point)
Are sourced from product manufacturers who engage in validated and robust
safety, health, hazard and risk programs and with independent third party
verification

PBT Source Reduction - Mercury

Intent
Reduce the release of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBTs) chemicals
that are associated to mercury.
Requirements - Healthcare (1 Point)

Lamps with low mercury content and long lamp life are recommended by the
LEED v4 guide

PBT Source Reduction Lead, Cadmium and

Copper
Intent
Reduce the release of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBTs)
chemicals that are associated to lead, cadmium, and copper.
Requirements (2 points)
Lead

Solder with no more than 0.2% of lead (water consumption)

pipes, pipe fitting, plumbing fittings, and faucets for wetted area surfaces
(weighted average of 0.25% lead)
Use roofing and flashing that are lead-free
Electrical wire and cable (less than 300 ppm of lead)
Paints, for interior or exterior, must be lead-free
MRI Shielding

Cadmium
Paints, for interior or exterior, must be cadmium-free.
Copper

For pipe applications, cooper use should be reduced or eliminated.

Furniture and Medical Furnishings

Intent
To enhance the environmental and human health performance attribute
associated with freestanding furniture and medical furnishings.
Requirements - Healthcare (1-2 Points)
Option 1. Minimum Chemical Content (less than 100 ppm)
Urea formaldehyde, heavy metals
Option 2. Testing and Modeling of Chemical Content
Must be in accordance with ANSI/BIFMA standards.
Option 3. Multi-Attribute Assessment of Products
Product specific declaration, environmental product declaration, materials
reuse, recycled content, bio-based materials and wood products.

Design for Flexibility

Intent
Conserve resources associated with the construction and management of
building by designing for flexibility and ease of future adaptation and for the
service life of components and assemblies.
Requirements - Healthcare (1 point)
Strategies: Interstitial space, soft space, shell space, horizontal expansion
capacity, vertical expansion, future above-grade parking structures, demountable
partitions, movable or modular casework.

Construction and Demolition Waste

Management
Intent
To reduce construction and demolition waste disposed of in landfills and
incineration facilities.
Requirements
Calculations can be done by weight
Option 1. Diversion (1-2 points)
Divert 50% of three material streams from the total generated by the project
Divert 75% of four material streams from the total
Option 2. Reduction (2 points)
2.5 pounds of construction waste per square foot of the buildings floor area
(12.2 kg per square meter).

REGIONAL PRIORITY

Regional Priority
Intent
Number of credits that can be achieved regarding the projects location.
These credits approach environmental, social equity and public health priorities.
They are generated according to the geography. For example, the city of Chicago
has the following credits: (in accordance to usgbc.org/rpc)
Advanced energy metering (1 point)
Enhanced indoor air quality strategies (2 point)
High priority site (2 point)
Building life-cycle impact reduction (3 point)
Site development - protect or restore habitat (2 point)
Rainwater management (3 point)