Free LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Materials and Resources Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project team is pursuing the MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Environmental Product Declarations. To meet the requirements for Option 1, what is the minimum number of different permanently installed products with qualifying EPDs that must be sourced from a minimum number of different manufacturers?
- 10 products from 3 manufacturers
- 15 products from 4 manufacturers
- 20 products from 5 manufacturers (Correct answer)
- 25 products from 5 manufacturers
Correct answer: 20 products from 5 manufacturers
For most BD+C projects, Option 1 of the EPD credit requires the use of at least 20 different permanently installed products that have qualifying EPDs, and these products must be sourced from at least five different manufacturers.
Question 2: When calculating the total diverted waste for the MR Credit: Construction and Demolition Waste Management, which of the following must be excluded from the calculation?
- Commingled recycled materials
- Donated salvaged materials
- Wood converted to fuel
- Excavated soil and land-clearing debris (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Excavated soil and land-clearing debris
LEED guidelines specifically state that excavated soil, land-clearing debris, and hazardous materials should be excluded from the calculations for this credit. Materials like salvaged items, recycled content, and wood-to-fuel are considered valid diversion pathways.
Question 3: A project team is prioritizing the use of products with certain environmental attributes to earn the MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Sourcing of Raw Materials. Which of the following is a recognized attribute that contributes to this credit?
- Products with a Health Product Declaration (HPD)
- Materials with high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI)
- Products with certified wood content (e.g., FSC certified) (Correct answer)
- Locally manufactured materials within 50 miles of the project
Correct answer: Products with certified wood content (e.g., FSC certified)
The Sourcing of Raw Materials credit focuses on leadership extraction practices. Recognized attributes include the use of materials that are reused, have recycled content, are bio-based, or have certified wood content from sources like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). HPDs relate to material ingredients, and SRI relates to heat island effect.
Question 4: For the MR Prerequisite: Storage and Collection of Recyclables, a project must provide an easily accessible, dedicated area for the collection and storage of materials for recycling. At a minimum, which set of materials must be included?
- Paper, glass, and plastics
- Paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals (Correct answer)
- Batteries, lamps, and electronic waste
- Compostable food waste and yard trimmings
Correct answer: Paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals
The prerequisite requires dedicated storage and collection for, at a minimum, paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals. While collection of e-waste like batteries and lamps is also addressed, it's a separate requirement from the five core recyclable streams.
Question 5: A project is attempting to earn points under the MR Credit: Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction by conducting a whole-building life-cycle assessment (LCA). To earn the maximum number of points under this credit's LCA pathway (Path 4), what must the project demonstrate in addition to impact reductions?
- A 30% reduction in global warming potential (GWP)
- The use of at least 50 products with EPDs
- Incorporation of building reuse and/or salvaged materials (Correct answer)
- A 100-year building service life in the LCA model
Correct answer: Incorporation of building reuse and/or salvaged materials
The highest point threshold for the whole-building LCA option (Path 4) requires demonstrating significant impact reductions (20% in GWP and 10% in two other categories) AND incorporating the reuse of existing building components or the use of salvaged materials.
Question 6: For the MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients, a project team is collecting documentation from product manufacturers to show chemical transparency. Which of the following is a valid documentation pathway for this credit?
- A standard Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
- A manufacturer's self-declaration of low-VOC content
- An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
- A publicly available Health Product Declaration (HPD) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A publicly available Health Product Declaration (HPD)
The Material Ingredients credit accepts several forms of disclosure that inventory a product's chemical ingredients to 1,000 ppm or better. Accepted pathways include Health Product Declarations (HPDs), Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certificates, and Manufacturer Inventories using GreenScreen. A standard SDS or a simple low-VOC claim is not sufficient, and EPDs report on environmental impacts, not chemical ingredients.
Free LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification) Materials and Resources Questions and Answers
A project team is pursuing the MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Environmental Product Declarations.
To meet the requirements for Option 1, what is the minimum number of different permanently installed products with qualifying EPDs that must be sourced from a minimum number of different manufacturers?