Leed Certification (Approved: 2010)

The re-use of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste materials reserves more raw materials for the use of future generations. The recycling of C&D waste is a growing industry, driven by efforts like those of the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and the many states and municipalities who have implemented programs and laws designed to increase the recovery of C&D materials.

LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Among other requirements, LEED projects are required to meet minimum recycling rates of the C&D materials.

In addition, Sustainability Departments of many municipal governments are requiring that all C&D waste generated within the municipality be recycled at a minimum standard rate.

Stakeholder groups that use the statistics of C&D recycling facilities are beginning to request substantiation of the reported recovery and recycling rates. The Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) was created to meet this growing need for reliable recovery and recycling reporting by C&D recycling facilities.

The RCI uses independent third-party evaluators to verify the accuracy and reliability of the recovery/recycling rates reported. Providing a rigorous set of protocols, guidelines, and tools to professionally review and certify the recovery/recycling reports of participating C&D recyclers, the Institute is intended to increase certainty and build confidence in the C&D recycling marketplace on the part of project owners, architects, the environmental community, municipalities and the public.