Shaking things up

Kristin Smith

Change is not always easy. The new version of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which has undergone several comment periods and revisions since it was first introduced in the fall of 2011 is certainly no exception.

LEED, while not mandatory, has certainly set the direction of the green building movement and how construction companies, demolition contractors and C&D recyclers operate to earn coveted points toward LEED certification. Continually working to improve these standards that set a precedent for green building is something the USGBC says is a priority for the organization.

“LEED sits at the core of the green building movement, and is critical in realizing our collective mission,” Scot Horst, USGBC senior vice president of LEED, says in a press release. “LEED’s strength comes from its continuous evolution. This continuous improvement is the outcome of thousands of technical volunteers working to develop the program and the adaptability of the program to technological and market changes.”

On page 46, in a feature titled “Adapting to Changes,” you can read about some of the proposed changes that will affect builders, demolition contractors, haulers and recyclers. Some of the most significant changes proposed in LEED 2012 have to do with how recycling percentages are calculated at demolition and construction sites. “Heavy” and “non-heavy” materials would each have their own recycling targets and Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) would no longer be counted toward the recycling rate, as examples.

Demolition contractors have gotten good at being able to achieve high recycling rates because of the volume and weight of “heavy” material such as concrete. As well, many C&D recycling facilities have considered ADC as part of their diversion rate calculations.

In a recent webinar, Jeremy Kuhre, LEED AP and sustainable buildings and operations manager for Sustainable Solutions Corp., Royersford, Pa., referred to these changes to LEED 2012 as “kind of a shake-up.”

Some demolition contractors and C&D recyclers may welcome these changes as a way to help legitimize their businesses and be able to show that they are indeed recycling. One thing seems certain: whether you agree or disagree about the proposed changes, they are coming and will require businesses to adapt.

I hope you took the comment periods as an opportunity to share your opinions with the USGBC and if you are part of the consensus body able to take part in the balloting process, I encourage you to do so.