LEED GA v.4 Chapter 7 Vocab - Material and Resources
3 examples of building product disclosure
-Raw materials sourcing -Material ingredients -Environmental product disclosure
What does the ISO 14000 standard do?
Assess environmental performance of products and services and provide guidance on improving their environmental performance
Supplemental Cementitious Material
SCMs are another type of recycled material. once recovered, they can be used to replace a portion of cement in concrete, added to mortars, stuccos and other building materials. Fly ash, from coal production, is most common.
CFL
low energy light bulbs (compact florescent) which are good for environment but may contain Mercury. Try to purchase ones with little to no mercury to avoid contamination if breakage and tough disposal
pre-consumer material
material from industry scraps that was diverted from the waste stream and used for new purposes (sawdust, wood ships, etc used for new product)
rapidly renewable materials
materials and products that are made from plants and typically harvested within a 10-yr cycle or shorter and are grown and harvested responsibly
Minimum necessary recycling for LEED prerequisite
paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, metals
3 criteria to consider when selecting building material
performance, adaptability, and embodied energy
sustainable purchasing program
places priority on products and services with lesser impact on the environment as compared to competing products. it addresses ongoing consumables like paper and printer ink, as well as durable goods like computers and furniture
Cradle-to-grave
product that accepts disposal as part of the life cycle
Regionally harvested (or extracted) and processed materials
products that reduce transportation costs and thus reduce energy demand
Rainforest Alliance Certification...
promotes and guarantees improvement in agriculture and forestry
Info included in EPD
product's impact on GW, OD, Ozone creation, water pollution, GHGs, human toxicity, other CSR impacts, etc...
Which of the following material can be certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)? A. Bamboo floors B. Leather furniture C. Wheatboard desks D. Linoleum floor tiles
A
What are the environmental benefits of using salvaged wood flooring in a residential project? A. The wood flooring will have a lower cost since it did not have to be extracted from a forest B. The wood flooring will reduce the demand for virgin resources C. The wood flooring will have a lower installation cost D. The wood flooring will increase the tax base of the local economy
B (A and C would be true but as an economic benefit not environmental; D would be a benefit to society assuming local reuse)
Which of the following action is aided by completing a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a building during the design process? A. Shortening the construction schedule B. Reducing the amount of materials used C. Reducing change orders D. Decreasing the project costs
B - An LCA provides insight into the building design. Through this process the materials may be reduced.
What do the credits in the Materials and Resources (MR) category focus on? A. Selecting materials that are more energy efficient than traditional building materials B. Helping project teams select materials that have the most environmental benefits at the least cost C. Minimizing the embodied impacts associated with the entire life-cycle of building materials D. Reducing the quantity of materials used on a project
C
Which greenhouse gas is produced in landfills as a result of solid waste disposal? A. CO2 B. Radon C. Methane D. NH3
C
Which of the following is an environmental benefit of reusing a building? A. Preserves a site's historical, cultural, and aesthetic values B. Reduces CFCs C. Reduces demands on virgin resources D. Increases water efficiency
C
Which of the following would help with sustainable purchasing during building operations? A. Purchasing cafeteria food from a nearby distribution center B. Ordering toner cartridges online C. Purchasing recycled printer paper D. Removing any ENERGY STAR qualified vending machines
C
post-consumer mateiral
waste produced by the end consumer of a material stream (curbside recycling, yard waste, demo debris)
What is FSC Certified wood? A. Wood that has been sourced (extracted, manufactured, purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site B. Composite wood that contains post-consumer recycled wood, usually from construction and demolition debris C. Composite wood that does not contain any urea formaldehyde D. Wood that has been procured from well managed forests
D
Which of the following does NOT reduce the energy use and waste associated with the demolition and construction of buildings? A. Restoring existing buildings B. Preserving historic structures C. Rehabilitating blighted buildings D. Incinerating construction waste from a demolition
D
Which of the following is NOT a strategy to reduce construction waste? A. Sell unused materials B. Recycle materials C. Use salvaged materials D. Maximize the building footprint
D
Which of the following are strategies do NOT help a project team design for flexibility? A. Demountable partitions B. Modular casework C. Moveable furniture D. Operable windows
D Not A: A demountable partition is "a temporary interior wall that can be easily reconfigured. In a health care facility, acoustical concerns and embedded equipment, as in a surgery suite, may prevent demountable partitions from being used." Not B: Modular and movable casework is "shelving and cabinetry designed to be easily installed, moved, or reconfigured. In a retail setting, items that are movable but semi-permanently attached using mechanical fastening systems for operational use are considered furniture and not base building elements (e.g., a table or display bolted to the floor, or shelving attached to a wall)
ISO 14021
Defines recycled materials; these standards are communication tools that convey information on environmental aspects of a product or service to the market. This standard is used for recycled materials to label their pre and/or post-consumer content.
Waste Management Hierarchy
EPA's ranking on waste management options: source reduction > reuse > recycling > waste to energy
Protected Harvest certifies....
Farmers' use of stringent environmental growing standards
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council.
Health Product Disclosure (HPD)
Format for reporting product contents and potential chemicals of concern (not designating healthy or not just listing ingredients)
What LEED credit category has credits that reference the Green Seal standard?
IEQ (related to paints and thinners; VOC content)
What LEED categories contain standards related to VOC emissions?
IEQ ; Materials and Resources
off-site salvaged materials
Materials recovered from an off-site source and reused.
What are low VOC Products?
Materials that have less off-gassing, resulting in improved indoor air quality.
Commercial LEED projects must recycle these materials
Paper, Corrugated cardboard, Glass, Plastics, Metals
Specifications
Specifications are created by architects and given to the contractor for the purposes of purchasing the right quantity and type of materials. Specifications include drawings of what is to be built. They are legally binding documents. Specifications are detailed and might include: Use #2 salvaged oak flooring in the main lobby, along with the dimensions and layout of the lobby. Purchase the oak flooring locally.
salvaged material
a construction component recovered from existing buildings or construction sites and reused. Commonly includes structural beams and posts, flooring, doors, cabinetry, brick, and decorative items.
embodied energy
all the energy it took to create the item
recycled material
3 types as defined by ISO 14021: post-consumer, pre-consumer, post-consumer fiber
A floor covering that can be recycled into a new product at the end of its useful life would be what type of product? A. Cradle to cradle B. Cradle to grave C. Renewable D. Passive
A
An environmental product declaration (EPD) for LEED must conform to which of the following standards? A. ISO B. Green-e C. Local code or jurisdiction D. ASHRAE
A
Some wood flooring recovered from a local barn demolition is being used for flooring in a new office project. What type of material is the wood flooring considered? A. Reused material B. Recycled and refurbished material C. Virgin resource D. Recycled content
A
What should be included in a construction waste management plan? A. If any construction waste materials to be recycled will be commingled or separated B. The distance products were purchased from the construction site C. Which existing building materials - if any - will be reused D. New technologies and materials that will help reduce waste
A
What is true regarding carpet made from recycled milk jugs? A. The material would increase the need for virgin materials B. The carpet contains post-consumer recycled content C. The carpet is more durable than conventional carpets D. The carpet has lower life cycle costs than conventional carpets
B - Postconsumer recycled content - is the percentage of material in a product that was consumer waste. The recycled material was generated by household, commercial, industrial, or institutional end-users and can no longer be used for its intended purpose. It includes returns of materials from the distribution chain. Examples include construction and demolition debris, materials collected through recycling programs, discarded products
A project has construction debris that is nonrecyclable waste. Which of the following actions can the project team take with the waste that will help the project with construction waste management? A. Bury it on site B. Waste-to-energy C. Exclude it from the credit calculations D. Send it to a landfill
B - Waste-to-energy is "the conversion of nonrecyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery" It's quite popular and Europe and becoming more common. When strict air-quality guidelines are followed, it's a good way to dispose of trash and generate energy in the process.
A material that has met which of the following standard would contribute to material ingredient optimization? A. GreenSeal B. Cradle-to-Cradle Certified C. Health Product Declaration D. Global Reporting Initiative
B!
LEED Credit for certified wood
Using FSC certified wood can earn points in the materials and resources category. If verifiable with Chain of Custody certification
Adaptive Reuse
Using an older building for a purpose for which it was not originally intended. Can apply to the future too if you build easily modifiable features. ex: Tate Modern art museum in London was originally a power plant
What materials are not allowed to be included in the calculations for Construction Waste Management?
-Excavated materials such as dirt and trees -Hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead covered debris
For new construction projects, which of the following tools enable the project team to understand the environmental impact of a building over its entire life? A. Cradle-to grave life cycle analysis (LCA) B. EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager C. LEED Online D. ENERGY STAR rating
A - A life-cycle assessment provides information on a building over all phases of its life. Using LCA in the design process helps the project team understand which short- and long-term impacts different design decisions will have, allowing them to make better design decisions.
A project team is reviewing potential building materials for a school project. What impact would reusing brick and stone found off-site have on the triple bottom line? A. The reuse would be sustainable. B. The reuse would decrease energy performance. C. The reuse would reduce peak energy demands. D. The reuse would take away local jobs.
A - A material that is reused or re-purposed is more sustainable than a new material, and frequently it is cost effective to include these in a project.In this example, old brick and stone probably cost the same as new brick and stone and they don't have to be extracted.
What is an example of adaptive reuse? A. Designing classrooms so they can be divided into separate class spaces B. Designing a building with a flexible floor plan that can accommodate offices or apartments C. Renovating a historic home D. Renovating an old steel mill into an apartment complex
A - Adaptive reuse is the practice of redesigning and using a structure for a use that is significantly different from the building's original use.
The project owner of an office park wants to make sure that once a tenant leaves, the tenant space can be quickly and easily renovated. How would the project team meet this goal? A. By designing for flexibility B. By finding contractors who are willing to work on weekends C. By selecting a waste hauler that has enough hauling capacity D. By selecting materials that are sized appropriately
A - Designing for flexibility helps reduce construction waste and the need for new building materials. It also allows renovations to occur more quickly because modular systems are frequently used.
When selecting windows for a building project, along with performance and adaptability, what else should the project team consider? A. Embodied energy of the windows B. Leverage points in the windows C. The social context of the windows D. Reusing old windows
A - Embodied energy is an accounting methodology which aims to find the sum total of the energy necessary for an entire product lifecycle. This lifecycle includes raw material extraction, transport, manufacture, assembly, installation, disassembly, deconstruction and/or decomposition. When selecting a building material there are three things that should be considered: 1. Performance - How will the material perform compared to other alternatives? Consider insulation - should the project use foam insulation, batt insulation, or something else for the best insulating properties? 2. Adaptability - Can the insulation be reused in the future when the building is at the end of its life or will it need to be disposed of? 3. Embodied energy - How much energy went into manufacturing each type of insulation being considered. Was the insulation sourced close by or was manufactured in an environmentally unfriendly plant and then shipped from overseas? (NOT D, as LEED does not encourage reusing old windows since they are usually less energy efficient.)
Which of the following purchasing decisions would reduce the environmental harm used in the operations of a school project? A. Paper towels that are FSC certified, cafeteria food from a local farm, ENERGY STAR computers B. Power adapters, new textbooks made from new-growth wood pulp, trash cans C. High VOC paints, low SRI roofing materials, metal furniture D. High VOC carpets and carpet pads, low VOC furniture, green cleaning products
A - FSC-certified paper products are environmentally preferable because they reduce the demand for virgin resources.Purchasing food locally meets the goal by supporting the local economy.Computers and equipment that is ENERGY STAR rated meets the goal because they use less energy and enter sleep mode when not in use.
A laboratory project requires a lot of special-use equipment and systems to keep the areas inside sterile. What would a sub-contractor need to safely handle a product during installation? A. A Material safety data sheet (MSDS) B. A Health product disclosure (HPD) C. The quantity of recycled content in a product D. MERV 13 filters
A - Material Safety Data Sheets are intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures to safely handle a product during fabrication, installation, or in a life-safety event. The information given in an MSDS is not a comprehensive disclosure of contents, nor does it fully address all potential health hazards that may be associated with a product.
When reviewing products in the integrative design, which of the following are preferable base building material attributes that should be considered? A. Supporting the local economy & Durability B. End of Life Recyclability & USGBC certified products C. Being created in the same or neighboring countries & HPDs D. Supporting the local economy & USGBC certified products
A - Materials extracted and manufactured locally support the local economy and are preferable to materials from farther away. & Durable materials last longer, reducing the demand for new materials.
The purchasing policy for the ongoing operations of a building should address which of the following? A. Ongoing consumables B. Pest control service C. Utility rates D. Designing for flexibility E. Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
A - Ongoing consumables are "a product that has a low cost per unit and is regularly used and replaced in the course of business. Examples include paper, toner cartridges, binders, batteries, and desk accessories. Also known as ongoing purchases
REACH Optimization would be used in which of the following credit categories? A. Materials and Resources B. Energy and Atmosphere C. Location and Transportation D. Indoor Environmental Quality
A - REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH requires all companies manufacturing or importing chemical substances into the European Union in quantities of one ton or more per year to register these substances.The main aims of REACH are to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, the promotion of alternative test methods, the free circulation of substances on the internal market, and enhancing competitiveness and innovation. REACH makes the industry responsible for assessing and managing the risks posed by chemicals and providing appropriate safety information to their users. LEED products that do not contain substances in the Authorization List or Candidate List can be used to meet certain credit requirements in the Materials and Resources category.
A project team for a school project is designing classrooms that will improve the learning experience. Which of the following building components meet this goal while maintaining preferable life-cycle impacts? A. Reused acoustic tiles B. Single-pane glazing C. New polyester carpet tiles D. Refurbished desks that contain recycled content
A - School projects have a prerequisite for acoustics. This choice is a reused product, which is preferable because it doesn't require any raw material extraction. (not D, "While this component has preferable life cycle impacts, this choice does not improve the learning experience as would the acoustic tiles.")
Which of the following is an example of a source control waste reduction strategy? A. Pre-ordering materials cut to size B. Using commingled recycling C. Installing recycling bins onsite D. Reusing salvaged materials onsite
A - Source reduction is the first and best way to minimize waste. Source reduction starts at the source-such as pre-ordering materials cut to size and choosing modular construction, which generates less onsite waste.
Selecting products that have been developed with a sustainable design is an example of: A. Source reduction B. Recycling C. Waste diversion D. Reuse
A - Source reduction reduces the materials brought into a building. This includes products that have reduced packaging and products developed with sustainable design principles.
In an existing office building, how can the project team determine if there are additional opportunities for increasing the amount of waste diverted from ongoing operations? A. Conduct a waste-stream audit B. Survey the building occupants C. Review the monthly waste-haul receipts D. Count the number of recycling bins
A - What can't be measured can't be managed. The audit of the waste streams shows how much and of what type of waste is being generated by the project. Once the quantities are known, researching can be done to learn how to best reduce them.
Cradle-to-cradle
A design approach in which materials are perpetually circulated in closed-loop. "waste is food" where the byproducts have value.
A door found onsite and turned into a table as part of a major renovation would be considered what type of material? A. Reused B. Renewable material C. Commingled material D. Recycled material
A! The door is an example of a reused material. Reused materials are construction materials recovered from building sites and reused on different building sites in the same or a different capacity. Examples can include flooring, brick, beams, and doors.
How can a project team learn about the environmental impacts of a manufacturer's extraction operations and the product's supply chain? A. By reviewing the manufacturer's corporate sustainability report (CSR) B. By conducting a life-cycle assessment of the product C. By checking if the company is a USGBC member D. By analyzing the product's health product declaration (HPD)
A! A CSR report is a third-party verified report that includes information on how the manufacturer extracts or sources materials. Not B, Don't confuse EPDs/LCA with raw material sourcing. Environmental product declarations include the life-cycle impacts of a product. CSRs help to identify products/manufacturer's that have been verified to be extracted or sourced in a responsible manner.
Which of the following is one of the most toxic and common sources of indoor air pollution in an existing building? A. Mercury B. VOCs C. CFCs D. Radon
A! Standard fluorescent lamps contain mercury.
Which of the following is an effective way to lessen the overall environmental consequences of an interior space over its lifetime? A. Installing demountable interior nonstructural walls B. Installing 1.6 gpf (6 lpf) toilets C. Choosing products that have a published Environmental Product Declaration (EPD D. Selecting a site located 1 mile (1,600 meters) from public transportation
A! This strategy is part of designing for flexibility which reduces the demand for new building materials over time. Not C, Remember an EPD doesn't make a product good or bad. An EPD just states 'what the effects of a product are on the environment and people. A product may perform better in some environmental categories than others as listed on the EPD. The EPD helps project teams compare products to choose those that do less harm.
Which of the following does LEED use as a standard means of reporting the environmental impacts of a product, such as global warming potential and greenhouse gas emissions? A. Environmental Product Declarations B. Greenhouse Gas Inventory C. Carbon management tool D. MSDS
A, Typically, an EPD will include information about a product's impact on global warming, ozone depletion, water pollution, ozone creation, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Life-cycle costing (LCC)
An analytic tool used to determine the most cost-effective option among competing alternatives based on the costs of the options throughout their life cycles. Looks at payback period, operation and maintenance, replacement, cost-savings, etc.
A construction waste management plan should address what items? A. A community recycling program and source reduction B. A target diversion rate and what materials should be diverted from the waste stream C. Where onsite waste can be incinerated and where certified wood can be procured D. The disposal of hazardous materials and corporate sustainability reporting
B
A product with a Health Product Declaration (HPD) will assist the project team in selecting products that meet which of the following criteria: A. Are more durable B. Have less negative health effects C. Can be recycled D. Are verified to have been responsibly sourced
B
How can an architect make sure that the general contractor understands what products to include in a project? A. Send the contractor an email B. Include the products in the specifications C. Tell the contractor during the LEED charrette D. Select the materials to use in LEED online
B
A tenant is reviewing cabinets for an office kitchen. One option is wheatboard cabinets sourced from different areas and compressed together with glue. A second option is solid oak cabinets extracted and manufactured locally. How can the environmental attributes of the products be compared? A. By a review of the manufacturer's corporate sustainability policy B. By a life-cycle assessment C. By the product's MSDS D. By an air-quality sample
B - Life-cycle assessment is "an evaluation of the environmental effects of a product from cradle to grave, as defined by ISO 14040-2006 and ISO 14044-2006." The LCA would indicate attributes to compare between the products.
A wood product is environmentally preferable if it has which of the following attributes? A. Wood harvested from the land of an indigenous tribe B. Wood harvested from an unmanaged forest C. Wood that is sustainably grown and harvested D. Wood that does not rot from the treatment of carcinogenic chemicals
C
Which of the following materials, if reused, would NOT be considered pre-consumer recycled content? A. Walnut shells B. Sunflower seed hulls C. Sawdust D. Construction and demolition debris
D - Construction and demolition debris is a post-consumer material. For example wood and steel scraps that are left over from installation can be recycled and turned into something else. (walnut shells, sunflower seed hulls, and sawdust are all pre-consumer recycled content)
What document does the project team create for the administrative and procedural requirements for salvaging, recycling, and disposing of non-hazardous demolition and construction waste? A. Building recycling plan B. Building commissioning plan C. Construction waste management plan D. Owners Project Requirements (OPR)
C - A construction waste management plan contains the administrative and procedural requirements for salvaging, recycling and disposing of non-hazardous demolition and construction waste. Only your actual construction and demolition debris are included - wood scraps, metal, drywall, cardboard boxes, etc. The plan should include a target diversion rate (a goal that can be measured) such as 'divert 75% of construction waste'. Construction waste is calculated by weight or volume. (a building recycling plan addresses how materials should be collected and stored for recycling, once the building is occupied) (The commissioning plan is a document that outlines the organization, schedule, allocation of resources, and documentation requirements of the commissioning process.)
In which of the following ways would a project use environmental product declarations (EPDs)? A. To identify products that contain hazardous chemicals B. To select product's that have met a minimum standard of energy efficiency C. To help the project team understand a product's sustainable qualities D. To find certified green building products
C - EPDs act as neither product ratings nor ecolabels; rather, they help architects, designers, specifiers, and other purchasers better understand a product's sustainable qualities and environmental repercussions. As such, EPDs equip manufacturers with a valuable tool for differentiation and empower customers to make more informed purchasing decisions.
A manufacturer has a carpet tile that includes an environmental product declaration (EPD) and health product declaration (HPD). The manufacturer has also published a corporate sustainability report (CSR). Which of the following do these documents aid? A. Reducing product costs B. Material design optimization C. Transparency D. Improving the community
C - Each building disclosure and optimization credit in the Materials and Resources section has two options for compliance. The first option is for material transparency - what's in the material or how was it obtained. There are third party certifications used to confirm transparency. Transparency in the materials credits comes from publishing: EPDs, which include the life-cycle impacts of a product. CSRs help to identify products/manufacturers that have been verified to be extracted or sourced in a responsible manner. "HPD" is an acronym for "Health Product Declaration." The HPD is a standard format for reporting product content and associated health information for building products and materials. HPD is free for all to use. The HPD's ongoing development, maintenance, and evolution is grounded in a transparent process that relies on input from both customers and producers and is overseen by the non-profit Health Product Declaration Collaborative. The other option is an optimization path. This one requires teams to use products that are certified by a third party to demonstrate an impact reduction below industry average.
For what purpose would a project team do a life-cycle assessment? A. To measure the VOC content between different paints B. To compare the raw materials of different products C. To understand the trade-offs of material selection and energy performance D. To calculate a project's indoor baseline water use
C - One reason to do an LCA of a building is to be able to compare different material choices and see how they impact the project over the building's life. (for A, MSDS would be compared)
What is greenwashing? A. Changing local zoning codes to be greener B. The implementation of a green cleaning custodial policy C. Advertising a product or policy to be more environmentally friendly than it really is D. Building green buildings in an industrial area
C - The term greenwashing is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green, rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices.The term greenwashing was coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westervelt in a 1986 essay regarding the hotel industry's practice of placing placards in each room promoting reuse of towels ostensibly to 'save the environment'. Westerveld noted that, in most cases, little or no effort toward reducing energy waste was being made by these institutions - as evidenced by the lack of cost reduction this practice effected. Westerveld opined that the actual objective of this 'green campaign' on the part of many hoteliers was, in fact, increased profit. Westerveld thus labeled this and other outwardly environmentally conscientious acts with a greater, underlying purpose of profit increase as greenwashing.
When choosing products that have Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), which factor is used in determining if LEED credit can be earned? A. The cost of the qualifying products as a percentage of the total building envelope material's cost B. The cost of the qualifying products as a percentage of the total project cost C. The number of different permanently installed products used from different manufacturers D. The number of different permanent and temporary products used from one manufacturer
C! For LEED a product must be a permanently installed building product, and is defined as 'an item that arrives on the project site either as a finished element ready for installation or as a component to another item assembled on-site.' Example products include: steel, wood, drywall, carpet. Things that are not considered products that count towards the MR credits include: Scaffolding, Concrete formwork, Anything temporary
The choice of a building material used for a project should be determined by what criteria? A. The size of the company supplying the materials B. How long the material has been used in other projects C. The cost of the material D. If the company is a USGBC member
C! this is the economic portion of the triple bottom line
Which of the following legally binding documents describe the quality of the materials to be used on the project? A. Cradle-to-Grave Analysis B. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) C. Health Product Declaration (HPD) D. Specifications
D - Specifications are created by architects and given to the contractor for the purposes of purchasing the right quantity and type of materials. Specifications include drawings of what is to be built. They are legally binding documents. Specifications are detailed and might include:Use #2 salvaged oak flooring in the main lobby, along with the dimensions and layout of the lobby. Purchase the oak flooring locally.
Which of the following strategies should a hospital project choose to extend the life of the building and conserve building resources as the surrounding population grows? A. Site the building in a dense area B. Purchase additional land on which to construct additional buildings C. Select low-emitting materials D. Design rooms with modular systems
D - Designing for flexibility is a concept that considers the future use of the building and how it may be modified while at the same time reducing waste and reducing the need for new materials.Modular room partitions, modular furniture, and zoned utility systems allow for future expansion.
How can projects reduce sending waste to a landfill? A. Use materials with low lifecycle costs B. Prioritize manufacturer's with optimized supply chains C. Use local materials D. Provide Recycling Infrastructure
D - Recycling and reuse of construction and demolition debris help reduce waste that is sent to a landfill. Providing occupants with recycling bins helps reduce waste during operations and maintenance.
For solid waste management, which of the following ranks the highest by the EPA to reduce waste? A. Waste to energy B. Reuse C. Recycling D. Source reduction
D - The four preferred strategies of the EPA for reducing waste are, in order: Source reduction Reuse Recycling Waste to energy
A large home builder is developing a new neighborhood with 200 homes. What strategy would NOT help the builder save on material costs and conserve materials? A. Advanced framing B. Structural insulated panels C. Reducing hallways D. Low VOC paints
D!
An environmentally conscience tenant wants to select flooring that is environmentally preferable in an effort to plan ahead for when the tenant will eventually move to a larger office space. Which of the following flooring products meet the criteria? A. Carpet that a manufacturer takes back after its end of life and uses as alternative daily cover on landfills B. Wood flooring that is converted to bio-fuel in a co-generation plant C. Linoleum tile that a manufacturer takes back after its end of life and exports to another country to be recycled. D. Ceramic tile that a manufacturer takes back after its end of life and recycles into a new product using their ISO certified facilities
D! not A or B, This is not an acceptable type of re-use because it ends the lifecycle of the raw material. not C, This would be an unreliable and difficult method to track a lifecycle analysis.
Which project layout would be the best for reducing demand for new materials? A. An outdoor shopping mall built on a greenfield B. A multi-building office project with single-story buildings C. Single-home residences in a suburban area D. A dense, mixed-use neighborhood
D! The greater the density of a project, the more environmentally friendly it is. Putting more people into a building compared to building more buildings is better.Mixed-use projects such as putting apartments on top of retail stores reduce materials because the project isn't building separate buildings for residential and retail. Less buildings means less new materials.Finally, more dense building requires less roads and infrastructure, saving more materials.
The manufacturer of a foam ceiling acoustic tile has disclosed the ingredients in the product. With this information project teams will be able to do which of the following? A. Evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions of the product B. Select less expensive products C. Determine if the product is locally sourced D. Make better-informed decisions
D! The purpose of having manufacturers disclose materials is for project teams to make better decisions and encourage manufacturers to make efforts to improve the environmental qualities of their products over time. Next Question
Which of the following does NOT exemplify strategies of reducing harm to the environment over a building's entire life? A. Restoring a historic building B. Using salvaged flooring in a new building C. Conducting a life-cycle assessment to help reduce a building's environmental footprint D. Tearing down a building and putting up a more energy-efficient one in its place
D!! Studies show that most of the time an existing building can be renovated/reused and achieve the same energy savings as a new building would have, without demolishing and sending the old building to the landfill.
Reusing an existing building can help earn credit in what category?
Material & Resources
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheets - intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures to safely handle a product during fabrication, installation, or in a life-safety event. The information given in an MSDS is not a comprehensive disclosure of contents, nor does it fully address all potential health hazards that may be associated with a product.
What is REACH used for?
Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH requires all companies manufacturing or importing chemical substances into the European Union in quantities of one ton or more per year to register these
What are examples of content that is excluded from PRE-CONSUMER recycled content
Rework, regrind, or scrap materials capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated them.
Country's most widely recycled material
Steel. LEED allows projects to assume that steel contains at least 25% recycled content in general
Certified wood
Wood that has been issued a certificate from an independent organization like FSC. This certificate verifies that wood products come from responsibly managed forests.
ongoing consumable
a material that is regularly used and replaced through the course of business. Ex. paper, printer ink, etc.
solid waste management policy
a plan that identifies a diversion rate goal and covers how waste will either be disposed or reused or recycled by addressing sorting, collection, and final disposal of items in an existing building
waste stream audit
a process that takes a sample of all waste produced by a facility. Checking and categorizing waste by its categories such as true waste, compost, and recyclable.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
a standardized way of quantifying the environmental impact of a product or system. Not rating in a good/bad way but helps offer standard for comparison It is a statement that the item meets the environmental requirements of ISO 14021, ISO 14025, and EN 15804
Life Cycle Cost Analysis
calculates expected future operating, maintenance, and replacement costs of designs and features used to assist owners in developing a realistic design and budget estimate.
Chain-of-custody
certification of FSC wood that tracks its flow though the supply chain and across boarders through each successive stage -- including processing, transformation, and manufacturing -- all the way to the final product
waste-to-energy
conversion of non-recyclable materials into useable heat, electricity, or fuel through processes like combustion, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery
recycling
converts materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources
LCA
determines product's environmental impact thought its life from manufacturing, shipping, use, reuse, and disposal; purpose is to understand the trade-offs of material selection and energy performance
Construction waste management plan
developed before construction, this plan identified potential waste streams and where waste diversion can be put in place -- salvage, reuse, recycle. Track waste reports from haulers to check that the plan is working
product transparency
disclosing info on supply chain, ingredients, and life-cycle impacts so that consumers can make informed decisions; Each building disclosure and optimization credit in the Materials and Resources section has two options for compliance. The first option is for material transparency - what's in the material or how was it obtained.
Food Alliance certifies...
farms, ranches, food haulers for sustainable agricultural and business practice
post-consumer fiber
fiberous waste from municipal waste streams (paper or paperboard)
Fairtrade label on...
fruit, coffee, flowers, wine, tea, sugar, etc.
Construction waste management
how waste will be either disposed or reused or recycled by addressing sorting, collection, and final disposal of items used in the construction or renovation process
HPD vs EPD
reports on health info on products and materials vs. reports on environmental impacts like material acquisition, energy use, emissions, and waste
Comingled recycling
sending waste in one container to facility where it is later sorted. Much preferred for less space is needed on site, easier transportation, and people dont like to separate
ISO (international standards organization)
sets the standards for EPD's in LEED
commingling recycling
single stream; all in one can (except HHW)
USDA Organic regulates...
standards for any farm, wild-crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an ag-product as organically produced
reuse
stops waste at its spruce because it delays or avoids the items entry to the waste collection and disposal system
Marine Stewardship Council's Blue Eco-Label certifies...
sustainable fishing
FSC wood
sustainably sourced lumber that can be used for structural and dimensional framing, sub-flooring, doors, and finishes if accompanied by CoC documentation.
post-consumer content
the % of post-consumer recycled material in a product
source reduction
the practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, and using materials (products/packaging) in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created
CSR (corporate sustainability report)
type of discloser used to i'd manufactures and products that have been verified to be sourced responsibly
waste diversion
waste materials diverted from traditional disposal such as landfill or incineration to be recycled, composted, or re-used
Construction and demolition debris (C&D)
waste materials generated by building and demolition activities, such as scrap, damaged or temporary materials, packaging, and other wastes (waste building materials, dredging materials, tree stumps, and rubble resulting from construction, remodeling, repair, and demolition of homes, commercial buildings and other structures and pavements)
durable goods
while not specifically addressed by LEED, its beneficial to use good with the longest possible lifespan
