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Is it worth it?
This credit can be easy and with little or no cost premium if your project only has a small amount of wood. A multifamily high-rise, for example, may have little wood on the project except for doors and cabinetry. In this case, it would be easy to reach the 50% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) threshold.Projects with more wood might encounter a larger upfront cost, but have the potential to demonstrate their environmental values of sustainable forestry management. Projects can also go above the 50% threshold and earn an ID point for 95% FSC certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.. For example, a commercial interior fit-out for an investment bank involved large amounts of wood veneers and millwork. The project purchased 97% FSC-certified wood, earning an additional exemplary performanceIn LEED, certain credits have established thresholds beyond basic credit achievement. Meeting these thresholds can earn additional points through Innovation in Design (ID) or Innovation in Operations (IO) points. As a general rule of thumb, ID credits for exemplary performance are awarded for doubling the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold. However, this rule varies on a case by case basis, so check the credit requirements. point under IDc1.
No minimum amount of wood
This credit awards points for dedicating 50% or more of your total new wood budget to wood-based products or materials that are FSC certified.
You can use as much or as little total wood as you want—as long as 50% of it is FSC-certified. If you make it 95%, you earn an extra point for exemplary performance.
More wood = more challenging
If wood is a big part of your project, with a lot of wood flooring, framing, or veneers, you’re unlikely to earn this credit unless you can find a source of FSC-certified wood for those items that’s within your budget. Projects without wood as a big-ticket item should focus instead on other wood materials, including blocking, millwork, and wood finish materials, as well as casework, and wood composites.
All projects should get their subcontractor, vendor, or lumberyard on board to price available—and preferably regional, for MRc5—FSC-certified products early in the process. You can usually find an FSC-certified version of what you need, but it sometimes takes longer to arrive.
Not all FSC-certified products are equal
Architectural Millwork produces finished and unfinished FSC-certified stock and custom molding and paneling (including radius paneling and millwork) for commercial and residential projects.Pay attention to the different types of FSC certification. You can find these on product cut sheets:
- FSC 100% (previously "FSC Pure"): Valued at 100% of product cost.
- FSC Mix Credit: Valued at 100% of product cost.
- FSC Mix (XX)%: A percentage of FSC content is indicated and you can claim that percentage of the wood product’s cost. For example, FSC Mixed 50%, means that you can claim 50% of the wood product’s cost.
- FSC Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: These do not count towards this credit and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled wood can count towards MRc4: Recycled Content.
Chain-of-custody certification
Wood is FSC-certified if it comes from the right forests. To ensure that the same FSC-certified wood that leaves the forest arrives at your building without being mixed up with conventional wood, FSC oversees another certification process—chain-of-custody certification, or CoC.
The FSC-certified Collins Almanor Forest in Northern California has been logged five times in the last 50 years.CoC certification tracks FSC-certified wood as it moves through harvesting, production, manufacturing, and distributing chains. In order for your LEED project to make a claim about FSC wood you use, you need to make sure that the product is handled by operations carrying CoC certifications at every step. Those needing CoC certifications (see Checklists for more detail) should provide their certification number on their invoices. Certified operators can also be found on the FSC website.
Why FSC?
The Forest Stewardship Council is a nonprofit organization that was created to set an international standard for responsible forest management, and to track and certify wood products from well-managed forests. FSC certification ensures that your wood products have come from third-party-certified forests that comply with the FSC principles and criteria.
The "wood wars"
FSC is only one of dozens of forest certification programs in the world. Others include the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) label. FSC currently remains the only program recognized for this credit. Following lengthy development of a more inclusive policy at USGBC, USGBC membership voted to reject the new policy. BuildingGreen.com, a sister publication to LEEDuser, chronicled the extensive debate over FSC and other certification schemes in a series of articles, including articles looking at the impact of certification on jobs, on climate change, and the future of forest certification in LEED.
Although FSC provides the certification standard, other groups provide the audits that determine whether certification can actually be awarded to a forest. The two groups most commonly seen here are SmartWood and SCS Global Services.Rapidly renewable materials
Woody rapidly renewable materials like bamboo and cork have not generally been covered by this credit, because they are not conventional lumber products, because they are already covered under MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials (except for CS), and because FSC certification had not been available for these products until recently. However, with the advent of FSC-certified bamboo products, teams may include bamboo and cork in MRc7, at their discretion. It would only be advantageous to do so if you are using FSC-certified products; otherwise, it would make credit compliance harder.
FAQs for MRc7
We are pursuing IEQc4.5 from LEED-CI as an ID credit. Are we then required to include the cost of furniture in MRc3–7?
No, per LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. #3901.
What building components are typically purchased with FSC content to earn this credit?
Big-ticket items commonly used for this credit include flooring and subflooring, framing, doors and door cores, wood finishes, and casework.
We’re having trouble getting FSC wood within our budget. Can we use products with another forestry certification?
No. Only forestry products certified by the FSC can contribute to earning MRc7. Wood products that are not FSC-certified, including those certified to SFI or PEFC, can still contribute to MRc5, though.
Do I need to provide invoices for all of the new wood products purchased for the project, or just FSC wood products?
GBCI had required invoices for all wood products, but has switched to requiring only invoices for FSC certified products, per the April 2008 FSC memo, which states that all invoices must be collected, but they do not need to be submitted. The reviewer does not need to see those to determine compliance.
Certified wood invoices must contain the FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) tracking number, and indicate whether the product is “FSC 100%,” “FSC Mix Credit” or “FSC Mix [NN]%.”
I have supporting manufacturer documentation for the FSC wood used on our project. Is this enough to document this credit, or do I need invoices as well?
Per the previous question, you do not need to submit invoices for all wood products, but you must collect invoices in order to determine the cost of wood products on the project.
Can products labeled “FSC Recycled” or “FSC Recycled Credit” contribute towards MRc7? What about "FSC Mix" percentages that refer to recycled content?
No. Because this credit focuses on "new" wood, recycled cottent products may not be counted as certified wood under MRc7, and should be excluded from the total cost of new wood materials. However, those purchases could qualify for credit under MRc4: Recycled Content.
Does FSC-certified wood automatically contribute to IEQc4.4 as a low-emitting material?
No, but it is common to find FSC composite woodComposite wood consists of wood or plant particles or fibers bonded by a synthetic resin or binder. Examples include particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, oriented-strand board (OSB), wheatboard, and strawboard. products that meet IEQc4.4 requirements.
We are using a lot of reclaimed wood. Should we include this in our MRc7 calculations? What about wood that is already installed on the project, in a renovation? What about wood products with recycled content?
MRc7 only applies to "new" wood. Reclaimed, reused, or recycled wood should not be included in MRc7 calculations.
Does FSC-certified bamboo products count towards this credit?
Yes. Bamboo is considered a forest product by FSC even though it’s technically a grass, and it’s often as a forest product in materials like plywood, veneer, and flooring. See LEED Interpretation #2535, issued 4/22/2009, for more information.
A product has FSC-certified veneer, but a non-certified core. Can we prorate the MRc7 contribution of this product based on the cost of the veneer?
No. If the product is built off-site then the entire assembly (the product which is shipped to site) must have an FSC label from the manufacturer of the assembly. Individual components, unless they are shipped to site and thereby complete the chain, may not contribute towards this credit. All entities that possess FSC materials until the product reaches the project site must have a chain-of-custody certification.
Should wood used on site features such as benches or a gazebo be included here?
Yes. If it is new wood and it is in your LEED project boundary, you should count it.
Legend
- Best Practices
- Gotcha
- Action Steps
- Cost Tip
Schematic Design
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There may be a price premium for FSC wood, depending on location, type of wood, and availability, but nationally the cost is becoming more competitive with conventional wood.
This natural beaver pond in Lakeview, Oregon shows the potential for habitat protection in a working forest.For example, a project in New York City found a premium of 25% on high-end custom doors. A commercial interior fit-out project in New York found a 50% price premium on decorative hardwood veneers, while a core and shell project in New York found only a 5% price premium on wood blocking and plywood. A school renovation project in Boulder, Colorado saw a 13% increase for FSC-certified wood flooring and 20% cost increase on ½” CDX FSC-certified new plywood.
Design Development
Expand All
The cost value for the LEED calculation is determined by weight or volume as a percentage of the total. See the example below, and a spreadsheet you can use in the Documentation Toolkit.
USGBC
Excerpted from LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors
MR Credit 7: Certified wood
1 Point
Intent
To encourage environmentally responsible forest management.
Requirements
When using new wood-based products and materials, use a minimum of 50% that are certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council’s principles and criteria. Division 12 (Furniture) material value is included in the determination of the certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. content.
Potential Technologies & Strategies
Establish a project goal for FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.-certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. products and identify suppliers that can achieve this goal. During construction, ensure that the FSC-certified wood products are installed and quantify the total percentage of FSCcertified wood products installed.
Organizations
Revised Requirements for Documenting the Use of FSC Certified Wood in LEED
This is a memo from the USGBC clarifying how to address the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. calculation and detailing what documentation needs to be provided.
Forest Stewardship Council, United States
For information and practical tools such as databases of certified product suppliers, referral services, specification language, and the “Designing and Building with FSC” guide and forms.
Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) — Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers
Support on incorporating LEED requirements into specifications.
FSC Facts and Figures
This slide deck shows the global FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified forest area by region. In North America, FSC forests account for 40.74% of certified forests.
Assembly Calculator
If your project has furniture or assemblies such as built-in bookshelves that mix certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. with steel or other materials that are not certified wood, you'll need to calculate the portion of the certified-wood portion of the assembly. This calculator can help.
Chain-of-Custody Certificate
Manufacturers should provide their FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification number on invoices. They may also provide their CoC certificate, like the sample shown here.
Product Cut Sheets
Look to product cut sheets like the sample shown here for information on how a wood product can contribute to credit for certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.. Note the annotated LEEDuser tips on the attached PDF document.
Materials Calculator
Teams can use this tool to track all materials across various MR and IEQ credits. It helps teams develop a roadmap of what information needs to be tracked for different products. It can also be used early on to create the baseline budget and ensure the products that are being used will apply to the various credit thresholds.
Environmental Materials Reporting Form
This is a materials tracking form that helps subcontractors record the environmental values of products they purchase. This can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing.
Low-Emitting Materials Reporting Form
This is a VOC tracking sheet that helps subcontractors record the low-emitting qualities of the products they purchase and can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing. Use it specifically for earning low-emitting materials credits, but in conjunction with documentation for MR credits.
Letter to Contractor for MR and IEQ Credits
Use a letter like this sample to orient the contractor to their responsibilities for all MR and IEQ credits. This letter is an introduction that can be customized for the credits your project is pursuing.
Templates
LEED Online Forms: CI-2009 MR
The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each CI-2009 MR credit. You'll need to fill out the live versions of these forms on LEED Online for each credit you hope to earn.
Version 4 forms (newest):
- MRc1.2: Building Reuse—Interior
- MRc2: Construction Waste Management
- MRc3.1: Materials Reuse
- MRc3.2: Materials Reuse: Furniture
- MRc4: Recycled Content
- MRc5: Regional Materials
- MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials
- MRc7: Certified Wood
Version 3 forms:
- MRp1: Storage and Collection of Recyclables
- MRc1.1: Building Reuse—Structural
- MRc1.2: Building Reuse—Interior
- MRc2: Construction Waste Management
- MRc3.1: Materials Reuse
- MRc3.2: Materials Reuse: Furniture
- MRc4: Recycled Content
- MRc5: Regional Materials
- MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials
- MRc7: Certified Wood
These links are posted by LEEDuser with USGBC's permission. USGBC has certain usage restrictions for these forms; for more information, visit LEED Online and click "Sample Forms Download."
Construction Submittal
Documentation for this credit is part of the Construction Phase submittal.
LEEDuser is produced by BuildingGreen, Inc., with YR&G authoring most of the original content. LEEDuser enjoys ongoing collaboration with USGBC.
82 Comments
Reconstituted Veneer
Does anyone know if reconstituted veneer has to be counted under MR7? I am dealing with a furniture manufacturer that uses (as an option) reconstituted veneer that is not FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified, but I am not sure if I would even need to count it for MR7. Thoughts?
FSC Invoices, Chain of Custody, and Certified Wood Cost
I'm working on a project in Norway and I'm somewhat confused about the documentation for Certified WoodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System..
The Reference Guide states: Collect all *vendor* invoices for permanently installed wood products, FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified or not, purchased by the project contractor and subcontractors. Vendors are defined as those companies that sell products to the project contractor or subcontractors”.
So I read this as saying I *only* need invoices from vendors – correct? Not earlier in the supply chain? The diagram in the Reference Guide (Figure 1, page 270) seems to imply that organizations earlier in the supply chain need to provide documentation too (forest needs certificate, transportation company may need CoC ). Or is this covered by the invoice? The form on LEED Online only asks for 100% of “invoices”. I’ve asked around, and people I know have gotten project certified both ways.
Also, I have a casework sub providing casework, and their organization has FSC certification, and I have a document stating that. According to this FAQ helpfully posted previously https://us.fsc.org/frequently-asked-questions.296.htm “All other organizations will need to be FSC CoC certified in order for the certified wood products they fabricate and install to count toward MRc7. This includes organizations like cabinetmakers and architectural millworkers that manufacture products off-site and then install them on-site (even if considered a subcontractor).” So they comply with this.
But, I’m unclear who is the vendor in this case – the casework shop, or the people who sold the wood to them? If the casework shop is the vendor (selling to the contractor), then they need to provide an invoice for that sale (to the contractor)?
The second question is more to gain any insight (I think I know the answer). Why does this credit require not only itemizing the *non* FSC new wood, but also requires you to provide invoices for this non-FSC wood? Other credits, for example MRc4 - Recycled, allow you to just report only the qualifying recycled material, and not even itemize the non-recycled material. Why is this credit different? Why can’t you just report the total cost of all new wood and just provide the documentation for the certified wood? I am having a difficult time getting this documentation, and I don't understand the point of it.
Thanks
Eric - You should need properly documented invoices from the final vendor only. What's shown in the reference guide illustration is that FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. is a 'Chain of Custody' meaning that there is a hand-off of confirming documentaion that occurs as the wood works it's way from the forest to the building through one entity after another.
The casework shop is the vendor that needs to provide an MRc7 compliant invoice for the FSC Certified assemblies they have created (by modifying FSC certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System., plywood, particleboard, etc). If an entity opens up bundles of FSC wood, plywood, etc and / or modifies FSC product and resells it, then that entity must be FSC certified so they continue the chain- of-custody process / documentation.
The MRc7 credit requires that you provide information for the Non-FSC wood because MRc7 compliance is measured against the total permanent wood used on the project, not the total of all materials used on the project (which the other MR credits such a s MRc4 recycled content are measured against)
Best,
Doug
FSC lagging?
The majority of the wood on a project I am working on is the lagging. Does anyone know if there is any exemption for lagging for the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood credit? There's some discussion as to whether it is "permanently installed" ... Has anyone encountered this on a project?
Ryan, can you give more detail on what application the lagging is being used in? That term can mean a couple different things, to my knowledge.
To include or not to include windows
Hello LEEDuser team, do I need to include windows with wooden frames into the calculation? The windows have been fitted during construction stage and were not part of the tenant fit-out. Thank you.
You only report on the items you control. If the windows were in the core and shell package, they aren't items you control.
Thank you, Susan, for confirming that.
Metal/Wood Furniture to contribute to FSC credit?
We've found the project owner's preferred furniture for this fit-out. Many of the pieces are made of mixed materials that have metal and other non-wood parts for legs, arm rests, etc. The surfaces of these chairs, desks, and tables are made of wood, but the manufacturer will not substitute the regular wood he uses with FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts., but the manf. will sell only the parts we want. We have found a separate manf that works exclusively with wood and has an FSC CoC number for producing wood furniture. Our idea is to have the wood manf. purchase the non-wood parts and assemble the furniture pieces with his FSC Mixed wood parts. As far as I am aware, the wood manf. under FSC rules does not have the right to sell these assembled pieces as FSC furniture because they are mixed metal and wood pieces; but this shouldn't mean he can not sell us the wood parts of the furniture, which would all be FSC Mixed along with the metal pieces separately. Has anyone tried something like this or does anyone know whether this would be a GBCI acceptable approach to contributing to earning the credit? The amount of time required to do this doesn't make the approach very sustainable, but at least the product would be!
Ward, as roundabout as this is, I think it is compliant with MRc7.
Hello Ward, a question, does the manufacturer who only uses FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood have an FSC COC certification? I find myself in the same situation. The furniture manufacturer uses only FSC wood, but he is not certified himself and the furniture is an assembly of wood and metal.
Furniture
Furniture is not a part of our scope of work. Do we have to include it?
Yes - furniture must be included in LEED-CI: "Regardless of who specifies or provides them, all furniture and furnishings in the project should be included in the calculations for LEED for Commercial Interiors." (see page 208 in the ID+C v2009 Reference Guide for the full quote/section).
If you don't include the furnishings, you will also run into conflicts with general rating system eligibility. As outlined in LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. 10102: "For LEED for Commercial Interiors and LEED for Retail: Commercial Interiors projects, spaces are considered incomplete if they do not include the furnishings, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) intended for regular operations of the space."
For any project registering after that LEED Interpretation posting (11/1/11), at least 60% of the floor area must be considered complete to even be eligible to submit under LEED-CI (i.e. with all necessary FF+E). If you registered before that LEED Interpretation posting (11/1/11), you were technically held to the LEED Rating System Selection Guidance which required at least 40% of your area to meet the requirements of the system to be eligible.
So submitting without any furnishings included is not allowed in LEED-CI; you'd need to have at least 60% or 40% of the space fully fit-out for use in order to comply with the basic rating system requirements and that LI (percentage depends upon your registration date).
Thank you. For this credit, do I have to count furniture assemblies that contain wood? For example, if I have a chair that has wood legs but a plastic seat, will I need to identify the cost of the wood in that furniture item, as an assembly (by calculating weight)? And include that cost in my figure for FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood?
And I thought that we could choose whether or not to include furniture in our calculations for credits such as Recycled Content and Regional Materials. Can't we choose?
In NC, the furniture must be included across all MR credits if you want to include it in any of the MR credits . You can choose to include furniture or not in that case.
In CI, the furniture must be included as a rule across all MR credits. There is no choice.
Correct - in LEED-CI, furniture must be included in the MR credits. If the project is coming through LEED-CI, you will need to make sure that it is include in all of your attempted MR credits.
For furniture assemblies with wood - you would need to follow the assembly calculation method to calculate the amount of new wood in the overall assembly (by weight) to then determine how much of that product is comprised of new wood and is applicable to this credit (MRc7).
As an extra note - if you intend to submit with only a portion of the space fully fit-out (i.e. only a portion with all FF+E as required for operation), please make sure to very closely read LI 10102 as there is quite a bit of extra documentation and work required to confirm compliance for the remaining incomplete areas (i.e. the areas that don't yet have all FF+E as required for operation). It's a complex one to keep your eye on closely if you are thinking of going that route.
Messages to the reviewing commitee thru LEEDonline
If you have submitted a questions using the message system for your project on LEED online to the reviewing committee, how long should you expect it to take to get an answer. I submitted on on 7/19 and still have not gotten a response.
Caro, I believe they aim for 30 days, or something like that. The policy is on the GBCI website. Sometimes they get behind....
Don't, don't, don't send a message through LEED Online v3!!! We were told that the Messages Tab was designed for internal team communications only and so the system doesn't alert the review team that there is any messages waiting for them. So it's very hit-or-miss when you could expect an answer. Similiarly, the "Feedback" button within LOv3 is tied to the IT Team and is only designed to collect technical, system issues (glitching forms, etc).
The "right" way to send a question/request through to GBCI is via the GBCI Contact Us Form (http://www.gbci.org/org-nav/contact/Contact-Us/Project-Certification-Que...). Messages sent in there are sent directly to GBCI review staff to look into. My experience has been that responses are much faster when submitted that way. The important thing to note is that: the more detailed your question, the more detailed your response will be (i.e. including specific project number, credit/rating system, details/descriptions, etc.).
I agree 100% with Kristina.
Job Built vs. Shop Built cabinetry
We have a job where MR7 has been kicked back due to the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. documentation on the cabinetry. The millwork was assembled off-site and now USGBC is requesting that we use the total assembly in the calculations for the Certified WoodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. Point. I have this and I also have the millworkers COC. However, on the Materials and Resources spreadsheet I orginally listed the individual components of the millwork in order to correctly document the Recycled Content, Regional Materials, etc. Those points have been approved. If I add the total assembly of the millwork it is going to mess up the calculations. Basically it will have the millwork $ in there twice. What should I do? We are going to have to pay the resubmission fee and I can't afford to do it incorrectly.
Hi Caro,
I'll respond, but there is no guarantee that my response will lead you to approval of the credit.
You have a complex issue so the best way to approach it is to break it down into bite size pieces.
First: It sounds like you are in an Appeal - that usually means that GBCI had commented on your original submittal and offered suggestions during the initial review period. What were those comments and did they touch on this issue?
Second: Did the GBCI Reviewer give any clarification as to 'why' they requested that you list the total assembly as a unit (FYI - listing the product as an assembly would be a common approach to submitting FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Certified millwork).
Best,
Doug
This was their response (we are on our second appeal of this credit)-
3. It is not clear whether millwork has been manufactured on-site or off. Note that for millwork manufactured off-site, the value for the total assembly must be used in the calculations (not the individual components); and the Chain-of-CustodyChain-of-custody (COC) is he path taken by raw materials, processed materials, and products from the forest to the consumer, including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. A chain-of-custody certificate number on invoices for nonlabeled products indicates that the certifier’s guidelines for product accounting have been followed. A chain-of-custody certification is not required by distributors of a product that is individually labeled with the Forest Stewardship Council logo and manufacturer’s chain-of-custody number. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification requirements are determined by Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Standard 40-004 v2-1. for the Millworker must be used to verify compliance.
Invoices for Non-FSC new wood
I just received a comment back from my LEED submission regarding needing to provide invoices for new wood items, plywood and flakeboard. I have listed these as new wood items, the plywood at 100% and the flakeboard at 0.8%, both of which are not FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. and accordingly their FSC percentages are both 0% on my IDC material and resource Calculator. I have other new wood items that are FSC that will get me the required percentage even with the Flakeboard and Plywood bringing down the overall FSC percentage. I do not have invoices for the plywood used or the flakeboard, but I am not sure why they are looking for invoices and backup since they do not help.
I have also noted that the in the vendor invoice column on the IDC worksheet I have listed both items as "No" since I am not providing the invoice and there is no backup saying it is not FSC. The % vendor invoice at the bottom of the spreadsheet still totals to %100 since I have %100 of all the backup for the FSC related items. Please let me know if this is correct that they should be looking for the invoices or if you think I should make a formal inquiry.
Hi Patrick - Since the credit compares the dollar value of all new wood with FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified new wood, the invoices for non-FSC wood helps to validate the total new wood dollar amount.
Does your IDC worksheet accurately show the total new wood materials cost even though you have not included vendor information (invoices) for non-FSC certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.? It sounds like there is a chance that may not be happening if the percent of Cutsheets is tallying at 100%?
MRc7
Pyro-Guard Plywood (fired treated).
How should i document this for MRc7?
My co-worker says 100% for new wood & 0% for FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts., is this correct?
Lee,
If it is not FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. then your coworker is correct.
credit for MR4 or MR7
I have a product sheet that states the product is 92.46% pre-consumer recycled, 4.81% post-consumerWaste generated by end users (households or commercial, industrial and institutional facilities) of a product no longer able to be used for its intended purpose that is recycled into raw material for a new product. recycled but later states that "the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. product is categorized as 100% mixed credit"
How should i document this product? It can't be both recycled and new wood???
MRc7 New wood %
I recA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources.'d an invoice for a wood product stating that the product is FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Mixed Credit, LEED Online is asking for new wood % for this product.Supplier can not provide me with % info, what should i do. Is there a formula to get the "new" wood % of the product. thank you
Hi Lee,
FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Mixed Credit products are valued in the credit calculation at 100% of their cost and all of it is considered 'new wood' (assuming it is not an assembly). In the form, a mixed credit product is entered as 100% new wood and 100% FSC certified. However, if the product is labeled FSC Mixed (NN%), then include the product in the form as 100% new wood and NN% FSC certified.
FSC wood, but not FSC shop. Buy FSC anyway?
We are pursuing MRc7 on a project that I am working on, but the millwork shop does not have a COC certification. We should be able to achieve the credit anyway with the other wood on the project, but the client has asked us to purchase FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood for the millwork anyway, knowing that it won't count towards the final FSC percentages for the credit. They just feel that this is the right thing to do.
What are your thoughts on doing this? Does it really behoove us to buy the FSC when it won't count for us anyway? That is the contractor's view and keeps fighting us on this particular item. He doesn't want to provide the COC for the materials if it doesn't matter anyway, I think.
Hi Valerie,
If your woodworker is an architectural woodworker, then you can certainly use certain 'wood' items, like veneers and cleats (used to hang cabinets) and declare it as FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.. He needs to provide you with the CoC for the veneer house and lumber yard where he purchased the veneer/lumber and also all the invoices. Remember you will need your woodworker to submit ALL of his virgin wood invoices to you (plywood, solid base etc) anyway. Just make sure two things (1) that the veneer is not FSC controlled and (2) that the invoices specifically say the job name to show that it was specific for this project. If they are not FSC certified stock material will not work. One of the reasons the GC is fighting you on this is because of costs. FSC does impact cost.
Hope this helps.
Maory,
Below is some info I copied from a previous response here. The woodworking shop on a LEED job must have a shop certification to work with FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. and have it count. Just because we use FSC material, doesnt mean it automatically counts towards the credit. We are aware of the additional cost this poses the job, and the client agreed to it and the contractor added it to the scope. The cost should be a non-issue as it was covered early on. Here is the info on FSC wood and the shop who handles it for a project:
The USGBC has published addenda to NC V2.2 and the certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. credit based on the LEED 2009 BD+C Reference Guide. The fabricator would Need to be FSC Certified and be part of the COC chain. They have substantially handled and modified an FSC product without being the 'End-User' (to be technical, the fabricator/vendor is someone who breaks the bands on a bundle of FSC plywood, cut the plywood, fabricate cabinets from and then sell it. )The installer or end user, however, does not need to have an FSC COC as they are not modifying the raw materials in any way.
I am aware of the above statement, my suggestion has come from several conversations with the council. For instance, blocking is sent to the field to be field cut by installer just for fitting purposes. This was the example given to me . I was giving you a suggestion that was given to me. Hopefully someone can give you a better suggestion.
Ok, I guess I misunderstood your initial response. Sorry if so. We are using FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. for everything else, and the blocking would count, I am aware of that. I was specifically asking about the millwork and its fabrication. The substrate, for example, comes in FSC and non FSC versions. The contractor submitted the Non-FSC version of the substrate-- even though it wont count towards our final totals because a non FSC shop is modifying it, the client still wants to buy it as FSC. The contractor is being lax about the COC of the material and I was curious as to thoughts on this, if we should insist on it.
Thanks.
Valerie,
Since green building is not all about LEED points I commend your owner for insisting on FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood even when it won't count towards ceritifcation! That said, since it's at the owners request, I would probably insist on the documentation even though it won't be used for LEED certification.
FSC Controlled Wood
Good morning all, I am positive that I read somewhere that FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Controlled Wood does NOT contribute to the certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. point. Does anyone know about FSC controlled wood and the LEED certified wood credit? I have been searching the web for some backup but to no avail. NEED HELP QUICKLY. Thanks!
FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Controlled Wood does not count on it's own.
| dp
Do you happen to know where I can find this information? I need this info as backup for my client . Thank you so much for your quick response.
Maory - Try this link out - it's not explicitly clear, but it does talk about controlled wood as being part of the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Mixed Sources label and how that works towards the bottom:
http://www.fscus.org/green_building/leed_faq.php
| DP
Thanks for the link, I read this one before. My problem is that the client has chosen a FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Controlled Wood veneer and it seems like the consultant wants to use this towards the certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. credit. I am listing it, since it is a wood product, but do not want to claim it as a FSC certified product, since as far as LEED is concerned, it is not a certified wood. Or maybe I should just let it be, list it and move on?
Maory, Controlled Wood only indicates that the wood complies with minimum standards of legality. It is not a full FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.-certification of sustainable practices, and should not count for LEED.
Thank you Tristan. I read this a while ago, when controlled wood designation rolled out, but I cannot find the article that I read!!! Now I am working on a project and I have submitted the paperwork on the veneer as 'non-FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.' and the consultant is complaining. I informed them that this FSC designation does not comply with the LEED certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. point and they very rudely told me to just submit it and let them worry about it. Now I am in a predictament because I am a LEED consultant foremost and I refuse to lie, so I told them that I would submit the invoice and they can deal with the rest. They agreed to go my way if I provide literature that states this controlled wood issue.
Maory, you can read more about FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. controlled wood direct from the source here:
http://www.fsc.org/cw.html
http://www.fsc.org/1011.html
Note that FSC the organization does not say or imply that Controlled Wood is equivalent to certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.. It is a designation for content going in Mixed products, in which only a % is FSC-certified. You can count that % only.
Thank you for this question. Your memory is correct, Maory, as are these responses. FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Controlled Wood may not be counted toward MRc7. In order for a product to be FSC Mixed certified, it must have Chain of Custody certification through the entire supply chain.
In addition to those above, this website may also help to explain the role of Controlled Wood https://us.fsc.org/controlled-wood.203.htm.
So the million dollar question is how do you document the controlled wood? It is new wood, but it isn't FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified to LEED requirements- does that mean it counts against you on the MRc7 credit? I have looked at the links and addenda and am not finding this answer.
FSC Mixed split between MRc7 and MRc4
We are using products sold as FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Mixed for our cabinetry in our LEED-CI project. According to page 397 of the LEED 2009 Green Building Design & Construction Reference Guide:
...If MDFMedium-density fiberboard (MDF): Panel product used in cabinets and furniture; generally made from wood fiber glued together with binder; similar to particleboard, but with finer texture, offering more precise finishing. Most MDF is made with formaldehyde-emitting urea-formaldehyde binder. and particleboard products are made from recycled wood scraps but are stated as being FSC Mixed (not FSC Recycled) the products can count toward MRc7 or MRc4, but cannot count toward both ...
My question is whether we can allocate a percentage of this product to MRc7 and the remainder to MRc4.
Thanks in advance for your help.
I would think that by using any portion of it for one you are claiming it as either recycled or not. Thus this strategy may not work. I don't have specific experience with this though.
Anyone else?
If the product is recycled then it should fall under MRc4, and it does not make sense to claim any of it for MRc7. Unless I am misunderstanding FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts., how can it get a Mixed label if it is known to be recycled?
Dealing with the exact same problem... Vesta MDFMedium-density fiberboard (MDF): Panel product used in cabinets and furniture; generally made from wood fiber glued together with binder; similar to particleboard, but with finer texture, offering more precise finishing. Most MDF is made with formaldehyde-emitting urea-formaldehyde binder. and PB products claim both recycled content and FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Mixed Credit certification... Any resolution on this?
FSC data:
http://www.flakeboard.com/docs/Environmental/Flakeboard_FSC_Data.pdf
Recycled Content data:
http://www.flakeboard.com/docs/Environmental/Flakeboard_Recycle_Content_...
Not sure how to enter this...
Sure enough, I think I misunderstood FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Mixed in my earlier content.
Several sources on the Web indicate that FSC Mixed can refer to recycled content. So the Vesta data here is entirely consistent, and judging by the "new" FSC wood policy, should not count for MRc7.
That conflicts with things I have read before about FSC Mixed, so I'd love someone else's opinion here.
This has been kicked back at us from GBCI auditors in the past. We have a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide that clarifies that you claim items such as MDFMedium-density fiberboard (MDF): Panel product used in cabinets and furniture; generally made from wood fiber glued together with binder; similar to particleboard, but with finer texture, offering more precise finishing. Most MDF is made with formaldehyde-emitting urea-formaldehyde binder. PB and the like as an either recycled content or FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. – not both. We now include this CIR with our submitals so that it's headed off before it gets kicked back to us.
The dual claim on these products is because of the manufacturing process of MDF and PB
MDF PB and other such items are generally made from chips and fibers that are left over when a mill is making dimensional lumber out of a log. These scraps can either be thrown out, or recycled and turned into PB MDF etc.
These fibers are from FSC certified logs that are being milled down.
Thus the MDF PB etc carry both a Pre consumer recycled content AND FSC Mixed Credit certification.
The LEED Coordinator has the choice of claiming this product as EITHER MR4 recycled content, OR MR7 / FSC. But not both. This is an either / or. If some is claimed under one credit - than it must all be claimed under such credit.
This is also where you’ll find a caviate in the difference between making claims on FSC products vs Recycled materials. As an FSC COC Certified Manufacturer of Millwork items, I make a claim on my FSC Products – IE Cabinets / Wall paneling etc (Products) that we manufacture.
My FSC claim to the LEED coordinator would NOT be in the form of a list of FSC materials that I purchased but rather I would exercise my COC Cert and make a claim to the LEED Coordinator in the form of an FSC product invoice. I am making a claim on my products that have multiple wood inputs. I have to make a claim on the entire product not on each wood input.
Wheras for Recycled Content – I would actually give you a list of the core materials and what I paid for them along with a cert stating recycled content (Companies such as Sierra Pine are certified at a minimum 90% Recycled content on these items)
I'm sorry that I'm long winded in my posts, however I want to make sure that the whole scenario is understood.
FSC CoC Certification Requirement (Vendors and Contractors)
We are procuring FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood from a vendor, who in turn is going to procure the FSC certified products from a European vendor. The European Vendor in question has a FSC CoC certification whereas the other ‘sourcing’ vendor does not. Further, the FSC certified product is to be provided to the Interiors Contractor. The Interior Contractor too does not have a FSC CoC certification. In addition, the FSC certified product (Wood, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, of a thickness exceeding, 6mm) needs to be modified to fashion door frames, window frames and shutters.
Given the following scenario:
1. The primary vendor has FSC CoC certification
2. The Secondary Vendor and Interiors Contractor do not have FSC CoC certification.
3. Additionally, the Interior Contractor has to modify the form of the FSC wood to fashion door frames, window frames and shutters.
4. Finally, project timelines do no allow time/money for arranging FSC CoC certification for Secondary Vendor or Interior Contractor.
What needs to be done to ensure MRc7 compliance? Further, is a FSC CoC certified Transport Agency required for the transport of material? Finally, can anybody, for the above mentioned usage, suggest a FSC certified products vendor fulfilling all the above mentioned requirements for a project based in Manesar (in Haryana, India)?
Refer to the under mentioned excerpts:
Source: http://www.fscus.org/green_building/leed_faq.php
Q: WHAT ARE THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCUMENTING THE USE OF FSC-CERTIFIED WOODWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. IN LEED?
As of July 19th, 2010, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) published several addenda relating to the MRc7 credit for FSC certified wood which can be found here. The addenda clarify two important issues relating to who needs to be FSC certified and partial claims:
Organizations that install an FSC-certified product or products on the project building/site (typically project contractors or subcontractors such as flooring installers or framing contractors, but also furniture installers and the like) do not require FSC CoC certification as long as they do not modify the product’s packaging or form except as is required for installation. All other organizations will need to be FSC CoC certified in order for the certified wood products they fabricate and install to count toward MRc7. This includes organizations like cabinetmakers and architectural millworkers that manufacture products off-site and then install them on-site (even if considered a subcontractor).
Q: MUST THE INSTALLING FABRICATOR OR CONTRACTOR HAVE AN FSC CoC CERTIFICATE IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH LEED's MRc7 CREDIT REQUIREMENTS?
Yes! Note this is a change of interpretation that is noted in the July 19th addenda issued by the USGBC.Previously the USGBC stated the installing fabricator or contractor did not have to hold a valid FSC CoC certificate to comply with LEED’s MRc7 credit although it was an added benefit. Now, the installing fabricator or contractor will need to be FSC CoC certified in order for their products to count towards the MRc7 credit if they modify the product’s packaging or form besides for what is required for installation.
Greetings Piyush,
What version of LEED are you working under?
When did you register your project?
Under the current requirements the secondary manufacturer and the interiors contractor would need FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. COC Certification. This is both a FSC requirement as well as a LEED requirement. It sounds like you are well aware of the requirements from your question.
There is a provision where you can get COC certified for a specific project. This would greatly reduce time and cost.
I would encourage you to contact a 3rd party certification body.
I would try Rainforest Alliance, http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/ and I believe that SCS http://www.scscertified.com/nrc/fsc_chain_of_custody.php has certification bodies in India.
RE: your question regarding shipping companies. - NO the shipping company does not need to be FSC COC Certified to ship the FSC materials. However the shipper document from the COC Certified Company must list the items being shipped on a line item basis (summarized by type with qty lisetd is fine) with the FSC claim, and their COC number for each item.
Thanks Kevin, I shall follow the line of action suggested.
Reporting FSC items
I'm finalizing my first LEED project, and I've got a question on putting in material (FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. in particular) values into the LEED Online form. We purchased a large quantity of FSC lumber in various dimensions from the same vendor, all with the same CoC number, but on many different days. I see that I'll have to upload every receipt which includes new wood, however, when putting values into the LEED Online form, is it acceptable to list all FSC studs with an identical CoC number in a single row? For instance, report $1200/unit for 1 unit, rather than 30 individual rows of $10/unit for 4 units of a specific dimension and specific lumber run? It seems like this would save them some time in assessment, but I get the impression that's not necessarily appreciated. Thanks!
HI Max - What your proposing certainly seems reasonable, as long as you are uploading all of the corresponding invoices in a organized way. You might want to bundle the invoices together (or co-locate them) in a PDF when you upload. You might also consider adding a "tally" sheet listing each invoice with a dollar sub-total for common COC's and Materials. The sub-totals should match each dollar value line-item listed in the Form. This would make it easy for the reviewer to 'connect-the-dots' between the Form and your PDF. The number of 'common' invoices you have will determine if that's easier than going invoice by invoice in the official form. It's also a way of tracking the wood during construction.
If the Reviewer does want them individually line itemed in the Form, you should get a chance to do that during the first round of GBCI comments after the first submittal is made.
| dp
How to treat reuse furniture in the calculation for FSC wood
In a LEED project, we want to reuse the system furniture from the existing tenancy, the desktop made of wood, but not FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified. Must this component be included in the FSC wood percentage calculation? The reference manual referred to new furniture in one section then allude to total wood products in another.
Aye or Nay?
Steve, MRc7 is reserved for "new" wood products, to the best of my understanding. I would exclude the used furniture.
FSC furniture invoices
I am working on a project where the majority of our FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood is in the furniture. We are working with a furniture distributor who is supply multiple manfacturer's (i.e. Knoll, Krug, Nevins, etc) products. Under LEED CI v2.0 the template requires you to upload ALL of your vendor invoices for FSC wood (showing all wood items on a line item basis). Obvioulsy, the wood is part of a larger assembly such as a chair or a desk, so how do I provide invoices highlighting the individual wood materials? The furniture distributor would only have invoices listing the pieces of furniture supplied and obviously the manufacturer is not just ordering FSC wood for our specific project but their manufacturing facility as a whole. Help!
I am a woodworker so I am assuming its the same for furniture. Your furniture distributior needs to have a FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Chain of Custody number. He creates and invoice separating the FSC furniture from the non FSC furniture. Since this is an assembly, the wood needs to be separated out from the other materials and the dollar amount or weight/volume adjusted accordingly. This is stated in a 2008 USGBC.
If the distributor does not have a FSC chain of custody number, I don't believe you can apply the wood towards the FSC credit.
Good luck!
First let me make sure that I understand your position.
- You are purchasing furniture from a distributor of FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. furniture. Correct? So they are selling you FSC Certified furniture.
If this is the case than here is the process.
You have just purchased a fabric covered chair. That chair is sold with a FSC Claim, however the entire dollar value of that chair does not count toward the MR7 Credit because you only count the new wood portion of that chair. Per the addenda & CirCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide's found on USGBC's website you would have to make an educated decision about how much of the weight of that chair is FSC wood material and how much is springs, fabric, cushioning etc. If 50% of the weight of that chair is FSC wood, than 50% of the chair cost is what you would put in your FSC column of the MR7 Credit.
You would need to include the documentation on how you arrived at the wood weight figure in your submittals to GBCI.
I would encourage you to involve the chair manufacturer as much as possible in coming to this conclusion of how much of that product is wood weight and how much is other materials.
Perhaps having a letter form the manufacturer that backs up your conclusion would be good to have.
Kevin has a good suggestion - The Manufacturers should be able to tell you about the quantity of FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood in the chair and have supporting information to back that up. Unless the furniture is mostly wood, the furniture piece is not likely to be an FSC Certified Assembly. Therefore, as Kevin notes, you need to split out the value of the wood from the value of the other components in the furniture.
Knoll has been a solid supporter of FSC, so they should be able to tell you what their breakout is.
Let us know how it goes!
dp
I have all the documentation from the furniture manufacturers regarding percentage (weights) of FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood in the various products and I have all of their FSC COC #s. Thats not my problem.
My problem is when you go to the LEED online template there is a box you need to check confirming that you have uploaded "All vendor invoices for wood products that contain FSC certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.."
I don't have vendor invoices for the furniture vendors that lists FSC wood as a line item. The invoice we can get from the furniture distributor would list the various furniture model numbers as a line item. For example they would say (14) Task Chairs, Model X - $2,000, (2) Conference Tables, Model Y - $3,000, etc. Those invoices wouldn't say chair made from, fabric, steel, and $200 FSC Pure wood.
Basically I have all of the FSC info from the vendors I just don't have the invoices as back up proof to upload and since LEED online (CI v2.0) requires it I am not quite sure how to proceed.
FSC and furniture
This credit says "(Furniture) material value is included in the determination of the certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. content."
How do we calculate the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. content of say wood legs on a chair?
That chair that you are purchasing would have to come from a FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Chain of Custody certified manufacturer. The manufacturer of that chair will "label" or make a Claim about the FSC Content in that chair.
The burden of figuring out the FSC content of that chair does not fall on you the end user. It should be provided clearly on shippers and invoices from your FSC COC Manufacturer, or from the vendor that is selling the chair.
Do you have an example of a chair that you are using and trying to figure out the FSC content of? Send me a link and I'll point you in the right direction.
The acceptable forms of FSC Claims for LEED are FSC-XX%, FSC Mixed Credit, or FSC Pure.
If the wood chair is sold as FSC 90% than you would calculate 90% of the cost of that wood chair as FSC and 10% as Non FSC.
For either FSC Mixed Credit or FSC Pure, you would count the entire cost of that wood chair as FSC.
thanks so much, this confirms what I thought.
"New Wood"
I have been informed by a General Contractor who has a lot of LEED construction experience that substrates such as MDFMedium-density fiberboard (MDF): Panel product used in cabinets and furniture; generally made from wood fiber glued together with binder; similar to particleboard, but with finer texture, offering more precise finishing. Most MDF is made with formaldehyde-emitting urea-formaldehyde binder., particle board, and OSBOriented-strand board (OSB). Consists of wood or plant particles or fibers bonded by a synthetic resin or binder. Examples include particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, wheatboard, oriented-strand board, and strawboard. are not categorized as "new wood" products since they contain only recycled wood materials. What is the definition of "New Wood"---does it only apply to veneers, solid woods, plywoods, etc. that use non scrap type wood materials? Or has this GC been misinformed?
The GC is basically right. Many composite lumber products contain recycled content, which is not considered "new" wood. As discussed above, new wood is not covered by this credit. However, don't let the GC over-simplify. Many substrates have a certain percentaged recycled content, but also some new content. Check the data sheets for every product.
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