Section 2: Individual LEED Credit Reviews
LEED Credit MR-2.1:
In response to the CWM specifications, the
General Contractor (GC) or Construction Manager
Construction Waste
(CM) initially develops a formal CWM plan, which
is submitted to the owner's representative or
Management, 50%
design team for approval prior to construction.
The CWM plan lists the materials to be recycled
and describes the process by which they will be
Intent
sorted, hauled, and documented. Typically the GC
or CM will either manage the waste recycling effort
Divert construction, demolition, and land
themselves or employ an independent waste
clearing debris from landfill disposal. Redirect
management company to handle the sorting,
recyclable material back to the manufacturing
hauling, and documentation tasks.
process. Redirect reusable materials to
appropriate sites.
The degree of difficulty to achieve the 50 percent
waste recycling goal can vary based on a number of
Requirement
factors, including:
Develop and implement a waste management
The project scope (i.e., Is demolition or land
plan, quantifying material diversion goals.
clearing involved? Does the demolition
Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of
involve removal of hazardous materials?)
construction, demolition and land clearing waste.
The project site (i.e., Is there enough site area
Calculations can be done by weight or volume
to accommodate multiple dumpsters for on-
but must be consistent throughout.
site sorting, or must sorting occur off-site?)
(1 point)
The experience level and standard practices of
the construction/demolition contractors
The local landfill tipping fees (i.e., Is it more
Cost Impact = 2, 3, or 4
cost effective to recycle waste than to send it
to a landfill?)
The regional recycling infrastructure
1
2
3
4
5
The local laws related to
construction/demolition waste recycling
GSA
No
Low
Moderate
High
Standard
premium,
premium
premium
premium
Because of these variables, the costs associated
(no cost)
psble svgs
(<50K)
(50-150K)
(>150K)
with construction waste recycling are likely to vary
considerably across GSA's range of projects. In
Practical Applications
some areas, CWM practices may be considered
standard practice, and the costs for CWM may be
This credit requires actions by both the design
negligible. In other situations, cost premiums may
team and construction contractors. The design
be paid for: 1) additional labor to sort the
team develops a Construction Waste Management
recyclable materials; 2) rentals for additional
(CWM) specification, which is included in the
dumpsters on the site; 3) additional transport fees
construction documents. A CWM specification
to send materials to regional recycling facilities (as
defines the overall project goals (e.g., 50 percent
opposed to local landfills); and 4) increased
recycling/salvage), lists the requirements of the
administration fees for the GC or CM.
CWM Plan (to be developed and issued by the
General Contractor or Construction Manager), and
Basis for Cost Assumption
identifies the scope of tracking and documentation
for CWM activities1.
In the Courthouse model, different assumptions
have been used in the "low cost" and "high cost"
scenarios. The low-cost scenarios assume that no
Soft costs associated with developing "green"
1
additional fees are required to achieve the 50
specifications on LEED projects are addressed in
percent recycling threshold. In the high-cost
Section 4 of this report.
GSA LEED COST STUDY
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