Reusing an existing building can help earn credit in what category? A
Energy and Atmosphere
B
Sustainable Sites
C
Materials and Resources The Materials and Resources category has LEED credits for building reuse. For example, if a project selects an existing building and guts the building but leaves the walls and roof, credit could be earned.
D
Water Efficiency
What strategy is least applicable to successful waste reduction? A
Finding products that use less packaging
B
Installing personal recycling bins
C
Finding local haulers to reduce transportation costs Reducing transportation costs does not reduce waste. The remaining choices are examples of source reduction, reuse, and recycling. These three integrated strategies maximize waste reduction.
D
Providing reusable water bottles to occupants
Why should a project team choose local products for construction? A
Higher quality materials Local materials may have lower, the same, or greater quality than non-local materials.
B
Increased durability Local materials may have lower, the same, or greater durability than non-local materials.
C
Increased source reduction Source reduction is the practice of decreasing the materials used for manufacturing products.
D
Reduced transportation costs and transportation emissions By selecting local/regional materials, energy use due to transportation is reduced. By reducing the amount of fuel it takes to deliver a product, CO2 emissions are cut down. Local/regional materials also support the local economy and the use of nearby resources instead of extracting the same resource from a farther location.
What benefit to the environment does a project that uses Recycled Materials contribute?
A
Reducing demand for virgin resources This is an environmental benefit of using recycled materials.
B
Reducing in a project's soft costs Purchased materials are a hard cost, not a soft cost.
C
Supporting the use of local resources This is a social benefit of using Regional Materials because the community is helped through increased jobs and taxes.
D
Reduced air and water pollution This is an environmental benefit of using Regional Materials because transportation is reduced.
What type of construction materials are recovered from building sites and reused on different building sites in the same or a different capacity? A
Post-consumer recycled material Postconsumer recycled content - is the percentage of material in a product that was consumer waste. The recycled material was generated by household, commercial, industrial, or institutional end-users and can no longer be used for its intended purpose. It includes returns of materials from the distribution chain. Examples include construction and demolition debris, materials collected through recycling programs, discarded products (e.g., furniture, cabinetry, decking), and landscaping waste (e.g., leaves, grass clippings, tree trimmings). (ISO 14021)
B
Pre-consumer recycled material Pre-consumer content - formerly known as post-industrial content, is the percentage of material in a product that is recycled from manufacturing waste. Examples include planer shavings, plytrim, sawdust, chips, bagasse, sunflower seed hulls, walnut shells, culls, trimmed materials, print overruns, overissue publications, and obsolete inventories. Excluded are materials such as rework, regrind, or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it (ISO 14021).
C
Durable material Durable materials have a longer life.
D
Salvaged material Salvaged materials are construction materials recovered from building sites and reused on different building sites in the same or a different capacity. Examples can include flooring, brick, beams, and doors.
Which items can contribute to Construction Waste Management credit? A
Brick
B
Sheetrock
C
Tree stumps
D
Asbestos flooring
Notes:
Reference: LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations Rating System
Hazardous material and excavation do not count toward this credit. For the purposes of the LEED Construction Waste Management credit, hazardous material and excavation do not count toward this credit. The reason LEED does not allow this is because these materials can skew the amount of construction waste kept from landfills. Consider a project that removes 50 tons of dirt from the site and the total waste for the construction site was 100 tons. With those values you could say 50% of waste was diverted but that is not how the LEED calculations are done. The project team hasn't kept any construction waste from the landfill - they only hauled off some dirt to another location. The 50 tons of dirt are excluded from any calculations. Only your actual construction and demolition debris are included - wood scraps, metal, drywall, cardboard boxes, etc. A material must be _________ to be considered a Regional Material. A
Extracted, processed, and manufactured close to the project site Regional materials are building materials or products that have been extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured, within 500 miles of the project site. (USGBC)
B
Harvested within 10 years or less This is a requirement for rapidly renewable materials
C
Certified by FSC This is required for certified wood.
D
LEED certified Products cannot be certified for LEED.
A
Collect either light bulbs or batteries
B
The area must be easily accessible
C
Include space to collect organic materials (food)
D
Collect light bulbs and batteries
Notes:
The collection of recycled materials (at a minimum these materials include paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals) requires an easily accessible dedicated area for collection and storage. When implementing the storage area consider using signs to help people find the area, and to show what materials go in what bins (for noncomingled recycling). If the storage area is outside make sure it is protected from the elements and nobody can steal your materials (metals can be worth a lot of money). At a minimum, a recycling program must include:
paper cardboard glass plastics metals Stones, dirt, hazardous materials, batteries, mercury-containing light bulbs, and food waste would not be included. What materials should not be included in comingled recycling? A
Cereal boxes Cereal boxes are cardboard and can be included.
B
Food waste Food waste taints the recycled materials and should be composted or thrown in the trash.
C
Batteries Batteries contain hazardous materials and should not be put in a comingled recycling bin.
D
Junk mail Junk mail is just paper and can be included.
E
Light bulbs Light bulbs can contain hazardous materials such as mercury and should be recycled separately.
Construction and demolition debris includes all but which of the following? A
Concrete from a demolished building The concrete is debris that came from the existing building.
B
Drywall Drywall can come from an existing building or as scraps from new construction.
C
Steel from a demolished building The steel is debris that came from the existing building.
D
Rocks Rocks would be part of the excavation of the site area. Hazardous materials, excavated soil (rocks) and land-clearing debris do not contribute to LEED credits but these items should still be addressed in a construction waste management plan.
Which items are considered pre-consumer recycled content? A
Excavated soil
Excavated soil doesn't count as a recycled material. B
Wooden pallets used by a shipping company Pallets are post-consumer waste since the shipping company did not manufacture them (they used them, they did not make them).
C
Leftover drywall from a renovation This is post-consumer recycled content, assuming the drywall gets recycled.
D
Magazine overruns Pre-consumer content is content from industry scraps that was diverted from the waste stream and used for other purposes. Examples include sawdust, wood shavings, wood chips, and print overruns. Excluded are materials that are re-incorporated into the same manufacturing process that generated it. Print overruns are considered pre-consumer recycled content.
Which item can NOT contribute to Construction Waste Management? A
Wood given to a salvage hauler Wood given to a salvage hauler or any donated materials would contribute to construction waste management.
B
PCB removal PCBs are toxic materials. In LEED, hazardous materials do not count toward Construction Waste Management.
C
Ground up brick used for drainage Ground up brick used for drainage could contribute to materials reuse.
D
Recycling packaging material Recycled materials help reduce construction waste. Any recycled material can be reduced from the volume of construction waste. For New Construction projects if 50% of construction waste is diverted the Construction Waste Management credit can be earned.
An old door taken from one project site and reused on another pro ject site is considered what type of material? A
Rapidly renewable A rapidly renewable material (like bamboo) is a material that has a harvest cycle of 10 years or less. These types of materials reduce the use of old grow materials such as hardwood trees.
B
Locally harvested
C
Certified wood Wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is acceptable for LEED credits for Certified Wood.
D
Salvaged Salvaged materials or reused materials are construction materials recovered from existing buildings or construction sites and reused. The materials may be used for the same purpose (a door used as a door) or a different purpose (a door turned into a table). Some common material that is salvaged includes old flooring, brick, doors, cabinets, and structural beams.
What are the environmental benefits of choosing FSC certified wood that has been extracted and milled 250 miles from a project site? A
Reduced impact on the ozone layer Ozone depletion is caused by refrigerants, not logging.
B
Reduced soil erosion and stream sedimentation One of the goals of responsible forestry management is to reduce the soil erosion and stream sedimentation caused by logging practices.
C
Reduced transportation costs Reducing the transportation costs is an economic benefit, not an environmental benefit.
D
Reduced demand for virgin materials FSC wood is no different than other wood, except for how it was grown/extracted. Using wood is still using virgin materials.
Selecting products that have been developed with a sustainable design is an example of: A
Source reduction Source reduction reduces the materials brought into a building. This includes products that have reduced packaging and products developed with s ustainable design principles.
B
Recycling
C
Reuse
D
Waste diversion
What strategies does the EPA recommend for waste reduction? A
Recycling
B
Sustainable materials The use of sustainable materials helps the environment but does not necessarily impact waste reduction.
C
Source reduction
D
Reuse
E
Locally manufactured materials This does not impact waste reduction.
Notes:
Source reduction, reuse, and recycling are the three ways EPA ranks as reducing waste the most. Which of the following is not an example of pre-consumer recycled content? A
Bagasse Bagasse is the fibrous residue remaining after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice and is currently used as a renewable resource in the manufacture of pulp and paper products and building materials.
B
Sunflower seed hulls Sunflower seed hulls can be used in composite wood products.
C
Landscape waste Landscape waste is considered post-consumer recycled content. You could take a bag of leaves, send it to a composting facility and use the compost on a project site and count it as recycled content.
D
Obsolete inventories Obsolete inventories are materials that never reached the consumer and can be used for other purposes.
Notes:
Reference: LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Reference Guide, Glossary
Note this question asks for what is not an example. Post-consumer material - is material recycled from consumer waste. (USGBC) Postconsumer recycled content - is the percentage of material in a product that was consumer waste. The recycled material was generated by household, commercial, industrial, or institutional end-users and can no longer be used for its intended purpose. It includes returns of materials from the distribution chain. Examples include construction and demolition debris, materials collected through recycling programs, discarded products (e.g., furniture, cabinetry, decking), and landscaping waste (e.g., leaves, grass clippings, tree trimmings). (ISO 14021) Pre-consumer content - formerly known as post-industrial content, is the percentage of material in a product that is recycled from manufacturing waste. Examples include planer shavings, plytrim, sawdust, chips, bagasse, sunflower seed hulls, walnut shells, culls, trimmed materials, print overruns, overissue publications, and obsolete inventories. Excluded are materials such as rework, regrind, or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it (ISO 14021).
A construction waste management plan should address what items? A
Rapidly renewable materials The use of rapidly renewable materials is a design decision related to sustainable materials selection.
B
What materials should be diverted A construction waste management plan should address what materials will be diverted from the landfill, as well as how they will be diverted and how the plan will be policed. For example: Will we recycle cardboard? What types of bins will we need? Where will they be stored? How will we protect the material from rain?
C
Source reduction Source reduction is the process of reducing product size and packaging needs that occur at the point of manufacturing, not at the construction site.
D
The use of certified wood The use of certified wood is a design decision related to sustainable materials selection.
What strategy does the EPA rank highest as having the greatest impact on waste reduction? A
Source reduction Reducing waste at its source is the best way to reduce waste. Less packaging and fewer materials reduce the demand for virgin materials.
B
Reuse Reuse also helps keep waste from landfills and incineration but it is not the highest ranked option.
C
Recycling Recycling also helps keep waste from landfills and incineration but it is not the highest ranked option.
D
Selecting sustainable materials Selecting sustainable materials helps reduce the demand for virgin resources.
A granite countertop taken from a demolition project and reused in a residence is what type of product? A
Salvaged While the product may be a local material, it is definitely a salvaged material.
B
Locally recovered
C
Locally manufactured
D
Locally extracted
hich of the following is an example of a source control waste reduction strategy? A
Pre-ordering materials cut to size Source reduction is the first and best way to minimize waste. Source reduction starts at the source-such as
pre-ordering materials cut to size and choosing modular construction, which generates less onsite waste. B
Reusing salvaged materials onsite Using salvaged materials does not reduce waste at the source.
C
Installing recycling bins onsite Installing recycling bins does not reduce waste at the source.
D
Using comingled recycling Comingled recycling does not reduce waste at the source.
Which of the following can reduce the volume of recycled materials sent to recycling facilities? A
Using comingled recycling Implementing a recycling program would increase the recycling rate regardless if the recycling was comingled or not. Comingled recycling uses a single bin to collect all materials for recycling vs. using a separate bin for each type of material - paper, plastic, glass, etc.
B
Installing recycling chutes This would increase the recycling rate.
C
Purchasing materials with recycled content This does not reduce the quantity of materials sent to recycling facilities.
D
Reusing materials To cut down on the volume of materials to be recycled reuse the materials instead of recycling them. An example is reusing water bottles or keeping paper for scrap paper instead of putting them in the recycle bins.
What defines the total of the energy necessary for an entire product's lifecycle? A
Simple payback Simple payback takes the cost of an item or strategy and divides that number by the yearly savings that product or strategy creates. If replacing a CFC-based system costs $150,000 but saves a property manager $50,000 a year, the project will have a simple payback period of 3 years.
B
Life cycle assessment Life cycle assessment evaluates a products 'environmental impact'.
C
Life cycle analysis Life-cycle-analysis (LCA, also known as life cycle assessment, ecobalance, and cradle-to-grave analysis) is the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a given product or service caused or necessitated by its existence.
D
Embodied energy Embodied energy is the energy used during the entire life cycle of a product, including its manufacture, transportation, and disposal, as well as the inherent energy captured within the product itself. (USGBC)
How is the quantity of locally harvested and manufactured materials used on a project calculated? A
By the materials' proportion of cost
B
By the number of board feet
C
By the materials' average distance from the project site
D
By the amount of leftovers diverted from landfills
Notes:
Regional materials are calculated based on the proportional (percent) cost of all materials' total value. If the building materials for a project cost $500,000 and the quantity of regional materials out of the total materials purchased amounted to $250,000, the project would have 50% regional materials. Simplified: $500,000 of total materials purchased Of that $500,000, $250,000 were purchased within 500 miles $250,000 regional materials / $500,000 total materials = 50% regional materials o earn LEED credits for environmentally preferable materials, wood used on a project should be: A
FSC certified FSC certified wood is the type of wood LEED accepts as environmentally preferable due to how the forest is managed.
B
Green Seal certified Green Seal is a certification for paints, not wood.
C
ASHRAE approved ASHRAE is unrelated to wood.
D
Harvested within 1,500 miles of the project site If the wood was harvested within 500 miles it would be environmentally preferable
Which items are considered pre-consumer recycled items?
A
Demolition debris used on another project This would be considered salvaged material.
B
Cotton insulation manufactured from factory reject denim jeans Pre-consumer content is material diverted from a waste stream during the manufacturing process. Excluded from pre-consumer content are materials that have been reutilized within the same process that generated them, such as rework, regrind, or scrap generated in the process and then put back into the process. Cotton insulation is created from scraps from other manufacturing processes before the scraps reach consumers.
C
Steel beams created from metal reclaimed from the manufacturing line Scraps that are reclaimed and used to manufacture the same items (carpet, steel beams) do not count as pre-consumer content or post-consumer content, and thus must be excluded.
D
Carpets made from nylon that include scraps from production Scraps that are reclaimed and used to manufacture the same items (carpet, steel beams) do not count as pre-consumer content or post-consumer content, and thus must be excluded.
What are examples of waste diversion for construction waste management? A
Recycling Recycling materials keeps them out of landfills and reduces the demand for virgin resources.
B
Reuse Reusing materials keeps them out of landfills and reduces the demand for virgin resources.
C
Disposal in landfills Disposal in landfills is what construction waste management tries to avoid.
D
Incineration Incineration is not a practice LEED accepts for construction waste management.
Notes:
Reference: Green Building & LEED Core Concepts Guide What should be included in a construction waste management plan? A
Disposal site for refrigerants Refrigerants would not be included in construction waste management. They would be disposed of by an HVAC engineer.
B
Durability planning
Durability planning is not part of waste management. C
The goals to be accomplished The plan should include the goals of the team as well as what will be diverted, where to, and by whom.
D
The environmental concerns This is outside the scope of a written construction waste management plan.
Which item can contribute to Construction Waste Management? A
Concrete Concrete - if kept out of the landfill - can be counted towards reducing construction waste.
B
Steel and wallboard Steel and wallboard - if kept out of the landfill - can be counted towards reducing construction waste.
C
Fill dirt Fill dirt does not qualify for this credit; therefore, fill dirt (excavated soil) is incorrect.
D
Hazardous construction debris Hazardous debris does not qualify for this credit; therefore, hazardous construction debris is incorrect.
What helps minimize the space requirements of occupant recycling? A
Having multiple bins for each recycled material Multiple bins would increase space requirements, c ompared to comingled recycling.
B
Locating the recycling bins in the basement of the building Locating bins in the basement would deter recycling due to the inconvenience involved.
C
Installing can crushers Can crushers help reduce the volume of the materials to be recycled.
D
Having onsite cardboard balers Cardboard balers help reduce the volume of the materials to be recycled.
A door found onsite and turned into a table as part of a major renovation would automatically qualify as: A
Regional material
B
Comingled material These are
materials recycled into a single storage bin. C
Rapidly renewable material This is a material with a harvest time of 10 years or less.
D
Pre-consumer content Pre-consumer content formerly known as post-industrial content, is the percentage of material in a product that is recycled from manufacturing waste. Examples include planer shavings, plytrim, sawdust, chips, bagasse, sunflower seed hulls, walnut shells, culls, trimmed materials, print overruns, overissue publications, and obsolete inventories. Excluded are materials such as rework, regrind, or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it
(ISO 14021). Which of the following materials, if reused, would be considered pre-consumer recycled content? A
Walnut shells Walnut shells are a type of pre-consumer recycled content. The walnut shells are taken from the walnut processing line at the food plant and shipped somewhere else to be turned into composite wood products such as cabinetry.
B
Construction and demolition debris Construction and demolition debris is a post-consumer material. For example wood and steel scraps that are left over from installation can be recycled and turned into something else.
C
Milk jugs Any curbside pickup material is a post-consumer material. If you recyc le soda cans at your house, or newspapers, cereal boxes, cardboard, milk jugs - those materials are sent to a recycling plant, sorted and resold to manufacturers that turn them into something else.
D
Sunflower seed hulls Sunflower seed hulls are a type of pre-consumer recycled content.
E
Sawdust Sawdust can be taken from a lumber mill and sent to another manufacturer where they turn it into medium density fiberboard (MDF).
Which of the following are examples of post-consumer recycled content? A
Magazines from a print overrun This is an example of pre-consumer recycled content because the material never made it to the consumer.
B
Construction and demolition debris sent to a recycling plant Construction and demolition debris can be sorted and recycled and used to make other products.
C
Planer shavings used to make composite wood This is an example of pre-consumer recycled content because the material never made it to the consumer.
D
Scraps reclaimed from the manufacturing line Scraps reclaimed from the manufacturing line and used to make more of the same product/material are not considered to include recycled content.
Which of the following are examples of post-consumer recycled content? A
Magazines from a print overrun
This is an example of pre-consumer recycled content because the material never made it to the consumer. B
Construction and demolition debris sent to a recycling plant Construction and demolition debris can be sorted and recycled and used to make other products.
C
Planer shavings used to make composite wood This is an example of pre-consumer recycled content because the material never made it to the consumer.
D
Scraps reclaimed from the manufacturing line Scraps reclaimed from the manufacturing line and used to make more of the same product/material are not considered to include recycled content.
What attribute should recycled materials have in order to take advantage of synergies with regional materials? A
Lower life-cycle costs
B
Low VOCs
C
More durability
D
Remanufactured regionally Only the choice of being remanufactured regionally would help with earning credit for regional/locally sourced materials. You may hear regional materials also referred to as local materials. Exam objective V.B from the GBCI handbook is 'Locally (regionally) Harvested and Manufactured Materials'. The USGBC GA study guide also has 'Regional/Locally Sourced Materials' in the book's definitions. The terms mean the same thing. For LEED, regional materials are materials that originate within 500 miles of the project site. To be considered regional the materials must be extracted, processed, and manufactured within 500 miles of the project site. For example if lumber is extracted 1,000 miles away and turned into flooring 250 miles from the project site the flooring would not be considered a regional material.
Why use commingled recycling? A
Commingled recycling takes up less space One container vs. several will take up less space.
B
Recycled materials can be sold for more money
C
Materials are less likely to be contaminated
D
More kinds of materials can be recycled
E
People are more likely to participate in the recycling program Commingled recycling is also frequently used because it is easier for contractors/occupants to put material into one bin.
Notes:
Commingled recycling uses one bin for all recycled materials. This approach is common for curbside pickup recycling programs for residences. at items would NOT be included in comingled recycling? A
Aluminum cans
B
Plastic
C
Cardboard
D
Stone For LEED, stones, dirt, hazardous materials, batteries, mercury-containing light bulbs, and food waste would not be included.
Notes:
Reference: LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations Rating System
At a minimum, a recycling program should include paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal. Which of the following is used to determine if a product is pre-consumer or post-consumer recycled content? A
LEED Online Calculators The LEED online calculators do not define recycled content.
B
ASHRAE 62.1 ASHRAE 62.1-2007 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality specifies minimum ventilation rates.
C
Local codes Local codes do not define recycled content.
D
ISO 14021 The ISO 14000 product oriented standards include Environmental Labels and Declaration, Life Cycle Assessment, and Design for Environment. These standards are intended to be applicable for assessing the environmental performance of products and services as well as providing guidance on improving their environmental performance. The ISO 14021 standard, Environmental Labels and Declaration, are communication tools that convey information on environmental aspects of a product or service to the market. These standards are used for recycled materials to label their pre and/or post consumer content.
What types of old materials/items does LEED NOT suggest reusing on a project?
A
Furniture LEED rewards projects for reusing materials such as furniture.
B
Asphalt Asphalt can be reused as an aggregate.
C
Showerheads
D
Flooring LEED rewards projects for reusing materials such as flooring.
Notes:
Old plumbing fixtures tend to be more inefficient than newer models and consume more water. For new construction or renovations, consider higher efficiency models, such as waterless urinals. What are the environmental benefits of using salvaged wood flooring in a residential project?
A
The wood flooring will increase the tax base of the local economy
B
The wood flooring will have a lower installation cost
C
The wood flooring will reduce the demand for virgin resources
D
The wood flooring will have a lower cost since it did not have to be extracted from a forest
What are the environmental benefits of using salvaged wood flooring in a residential project? A
The wood flooring will increase the tax base of the local economy There is a benefit to society (remember the triple bottom line?) assuming the material was salvaged locally and re-used locally.
B
The wood flooring will have a lower installation cost The installation cost is an economic issue, not an environmental issue.
C
The wood flooring will reduce the demand for virgin resources Salvaged materials reduce the demand for virgin materials and reduce waste. Flooring that is taken from a demo project can be reused elsewhere so that trees do not have to be cut down to supply wood for new flooring.
D
The wood flooring will have a lower cost since it did not have to be extracted from a forest A lower cost would be an economic benefit. Most salvaged flooring would have a higher cost since they tend to be of higher quality wood.
An office cubicle that contains post-consumer aluminum content would contribute to what credit area? A
Certified Materials Recycled materials are not certified by any organization.
B
Construction Waste Management This is incorrect because the cube is not construction or demolition debris.
C
Rapidly Renewable Materials Aluminum is not a rapidly renewable material.
D
Recycled Content Post-consumer aluminum content is a type of recycled material.
