LEED Pilot Credit Library
Pilot Credit 20: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials
Pilot Credit 20: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials
Applicable Rating Systems >>
Requirements >>
Submittals >>
Additional Questions >>
Background Information >>
Applicable Rating Systems
This credit is available for pilot testing by the following LEED project types:

New Construction

Commercial Interiors

Schools

New Construction for Retail

Commercial Interiors for Retail

Core & Shell (see below for separate requirements)
Intent
To reduce the impacts resulting from extracting and processing virgin materials by increasing demand for building products that incorporate recycled content.
Requirements
Use building products that contain the minimum percentages of recycled material
specified below.
The recycled content value of a material assembly is determined by weight. The recycled
fraction of the assembly is then multiplied by the cost of assembly to determine the recycled content value.
Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Furniture may be included if it
is included consistently in relevant Materials and Resources credits. Exclude mechanical, electrical, and plumbing components and specialty items, such as elevators.
Option 1: Non-Structural Materials
1
Use non-structural materials with recycled content such that the sum of postcon2
3
sumer recycled content plus one-half of the preconsumer (post-industrial) re-
Posted November 2010
1 of 5
LEED Pilot Credit Library
Pilot Credit 20: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials
cycled content constitutes minimum percentages, based on cost, of the total value
of the non-structural materials in the project. Points are awarded according to Table
1.
Table 1. Points for percentage of recycled content, non-structural
Recycled Content
Points
10%
20%
OR
Option 2 – Closed Loop manufacturing
Meet the requirements of Option 1 and demonstrate that at least 5% of the materials
qualifying for MR Credit X: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials are purchased
from a manufacturer that has a closed-loop product recycling and take-back program.
Applicable Rating Systems
This credit is available for pilot testing by the following LEED project types:

Core and Shell
Intent
To reduce the impacts resulting from extracting and processing virgin materials by increasing demand for building products that incorporate recycled content.
Requirements
Use building products that contain the minimum percentages of recycled material
specified below.
2
Posted November 2010
2 of 5
LEED Pilot Credit Library
Pilot Credit 20: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials
The recycled content value of a material assembly is determined by weight. The recycled
fraction of the assembly is then multiplied by the cost of assembly to determine the recycled content value.
Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Furniture may be included if it is included consistently in relevant Materials and Resources credits.
Exclude mechanical, electrical, and plumbing components and specialty items,
such as elevators.
Option 1- Nonstructural Materials
4
Use non-structural materials with recycled content such that the sum of the postconsu5
6
mer recycled content plus one half of the preconsumer (post-industrial) recycled content
constitutes minimum percentages, based on cost, of the total value of the non-structural
materials. Points are awarded according to Table 2.
Table 2. Points for percentage of recycled content, non-structural
Recycled Content
Points
5%
10%
OR
Option 2 – Closed Loop Manufacturing
Meet the requirements of Option 1 and demonstrate that at least 5% of the materials qualifying for MR Credit X: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials are
purchased from a manufacturer that has a closed loop product recycling and takeback program.
1
Recycled content is defined in accordance with the International Organization of Standards document, ISO
14021 — Environmental labels and declarations — Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental
labeling).
2 Postconsumer material is defined as waste material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and
institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its intended
purpose.
3 Pre-consumer (post-industrial) material is defined as material diverted from the waste stream during the
manufacturing process. Reutilization of materials (i.e. rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process and
capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it) is excluded.
Posted November 2010
3 of 5
LEED Pilot Credit Library
Pilot Credit 20: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials
Credit Submittals
General:
1. Register for Pilot Credit(s) here.
2. Register a username at LEEDuser.com, and participate in online forum
3. Submit feedback survey; supply PDF of your survey/confirmation of completion
with credit documentation
Credit Specific:
All Options:
1. Submit a table showing the cost of each product, the percentage recycled content of
each product, the value of the recycled content by weight for each product, and the
total credit calculation percentage. The total credit calculation percentage will be the
total value of recycled content cost by weight divided by the total material cost of all
non-structural products included in the project.
2. Submit manufacturer’s information sheets (also known as cutsheets) for 20% of
products purchased supporting recycled content claims.
Option 2:
1. Indicate which materials purchased came from manufacturers with closed loop recycling and take-back programs.
2. Submit a description of the manufacturer’s take back program. Description should
include evidence that the program covers the project site’s location and product selection, as well as the procedure for contacting the manufacturer for participation in
the program in the future.
Additional Questions
1. What was the level of additional effort needed to separate the total materials cost of
structural materials and non-structural materials?
2. With the removal of structural materials from the credit, do you think the point thresholds are appropriate? Why or why not?
3. What do you think is the best way to define non-structural materials? CSI divisions?
Material category? Other?
4. To encourage recycling through manufacture take back programs at the end of a
products useful life, do you think an operations manual of some kind is necessary to
inform future building operators?
Background Information
This credit has been achieved at high frequency due to the availability of recycled content
in structural materials like steel and concrete. To continue to challenge the market struc-
Posted November 2010
4 of 5
LEED Pilot Credit Library
Pilot Credit 20: Recycled Content for Non-Structural Materials
tural materials have been removed from credit calculations in both the numerator and
denominator. The goal of this change is to incentivize manufactures of non-structural
products to incorporate recycled content into their products and make the associated information available to project teams. Furthermore, the added incentive to purchase products from manufacturers with take back programs is aimed to support market transformation in closed loop recycling, and will ultimately reduce the amount of waste produced by
a building in its lifetime.
Posted November 2010
5 of 5