EBOM 2009 MRc8: Solid Waste Management—Durable Goods

Your logic makes sense. I'm curious how you'd be recycling or salvaging them? If they are older, inefficient models it may be counterproductive environmentally speaking to keep them in use.

Yes, that's correct. It should be part of an overall plan and not just a random one-time occurrence to earn the credit.

I think it can be that simple, but not necessarily. As Tristan notes, there's more to it than moving furniture around the office. In most instances, the reviewer is looking to see that there is an organized effort in place to store and reuse furniture over the medium or long term. So if that 'extra' chair gets pulled over from an empty cubicle, or is coming from storage while the carpet was replaced, that's not quite what the credit envisions. On the other hand, if you have a basement where you keep surplus furniture or work stations and can meet changing occupant needs without purchasing a new item, mission accomplished!

so if ia am storing funrature for a future renovation, would that count twards my recycled / salvaged costs?

If you have old furniture you have placed in storage to be reused at at uncertain date and/or location in the future, that fits the credit intent. If, on the other hand, you remove furniture from a space as part of a renovation project with the plan to return the furniture to that space when the project is complete, that is not reuse/salvage as the credit envisions.

I can't seem to find the stipulation but just wanted to confirm that storage does not necessarily have to be at the project site. Such as a central storage center for county facilities. Thanks!

Jeff, I am not away of a stipulation that the furniture would have to be stored on-site. I think a central facility would be fine.

I can confirm Tristan's answer on this Jeff - central storage facility off-site is 100% fine.

Dan

Walker, check out the LEED addenda, which update the Reference Guide and note an EP pont for MRc8.

I'm not aware of any language allowing an exception here, although I could see a precedent based on NC MRc1.

I don't believe there are exceptions for materials that are deemed hazardous waste. The intent of the credit is to increase the diversion of materials from landfill - if a facility is unable to actually divert a qualifying amount of material because of the classification of the waste, it would just mean that the project would not be able to qualify for this particular credit.

Jason makes a great point; EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. does not articulate an exception of this type. I do think, on the other hand, that one could reasonably argue that hazardous waste represents a unique, highly regulated waste stream that is outside the scope of this credit, much in the way that asbestos-containing ceiling tiles might be in a construction waste situation. The intent of the credit might be further understood as to divert a qualifying amount of eligible material in that sense. I think it may come down to your individual situation, the relative amounts of waste involved, and how you present your argument. Jason's conclusion is definitely correct and the safe model around which to plan your point projections, but I would be tempted to make your case to the reviewer if you feel strongly.

I would consider them ongoing consumablesOngoing consumables have a low cost per unit and are regularly used and replaced in the course of business. Examples include paper, toner cartridges, binders, batteries, and desk accessories.. The lifespan of many filters is measured in days or months, not years, which seems to put them on the shorter-term scale. And they are a consumable product, not a "durable" one.

The important thing, as you probably know, is to make a consistent determination one way or the other.

John,

After speaking to a few haulers and vendors in California, we found that there is not a method in place for recycling filters. We've been looking for a place to take used filters to be recycled. Can you please provide more information?

Hi Andy,
The complete composition of the filters are metal framed, plastic holding parts perpendicular to the filter (kinda' inside the frame), pleated filter cell w/ a mesh of bent wire holding the filter fabric in the direction of the air flow. Currently the project team's maintenance contractor dismantles all the AHU1.Air-handling units (AHUs) are mechanical indirect heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning systems in which the air is treated or handled by equipment located outside the rooms served, usually at a central location, and conveyed to and from the rooms by a fan and a system of distributing ducts. (NEEB, 1997 edition) 2.A type of heating and/or cooling distribution equipment that channels warm or cool air to different parts of a building. This process of channeling the conditioned air often involves drawing air over heating or cooling coils and forcing it from a central location through ducts or air-handling units. Air-handling units are hidden in the walls or ceilings, where they use steam or hot water to heat, or chilled water to cool the air inside the ductwork. filters into its basic components. These are then stored in separated boxes and then are periodically given to a waste hauler for recycling. A very dedicated team! Reminds me of doing that to carpet sample binders in the garage just yesterday to ship back to the manufacturer.

I evaluated the materials based on consistent determination within the entire project submittal rather than if the material was exactly "ongoing" vs "durable".

As a project team member, however, I would have placed them in ongoing consumable per Tristan's thoughts, though these types of filters (international project) last longer than the ones we typically think of.