LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system, developed by the US Green Building Council (USGCB). One of their goals is to increase the demand for products that incorporate recycled content materials.

The use of Busch Systems containers for Recycling & Waste collection contributes to LEED points. Below is the information about how our bins help achieve those points.

LEED NC (New Construction and Major Renovations) contains the following credits that address recycling

1) Materials and Resources (MR) Credit – 1 point; Storage and Collection of Recyclables – Required: Provide an area for storing and collecting recyclables, including paper, cardboard, glass, plastics and metals.

2) MR Credit 2, Construction Waste Management – 1 to 2 points; Recycle or salvage either 50% (1 point) or 75% (2 points) of construction and demolition debris.

LEED EB:O+M (Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance) contains the following credits that address recycling

1) MR Prerequisite 2, Solid Waste Management Policy – Required; Establish a plan for waste management that encourages recycling where possible.

2) MR Credit 7, Solid Waste Management – Ongoing Consumables – 1 point; According to the rating system, “maintain a waste reduction and recycling program that addresses materials with a low cost per unit that are regularly used and replaced through the course of business.”

3) MR Credit 8, Solid Waste Management – Durable Goods – 1 point; “Maintain a waste reduction, reuse and recycling program that addresses durable goods (those that are replaced infrequently and/or may require capital program outlays to purchase)”.

4) MR Credit 9, Solid Waste Management – Facility Alterations and Additions – 1 point; “Divert at least 70% of waste (by volume) generated by facility alterations and additions from disposal to landfills and incineration facilities.”

These are the credits that refer to recycling materials on site. However, there are also credits that address purchasing materials with recycled content. While some of our containers use up to 99% recycled content and most containers have at least 65% recycled content; the minimum standard we have set at Busch Systems for our containers is 25%. The use of any Busch Systems containers, with a minimum of 25% recycled content, will contribute to the 1 LEED point available for use of Recycled Content under the Materials and Resources Project.

We know that getting your building LEED certified is a daunting process, which is why we are willing to fill out the required forms for your LEED project related to the purchase of Busch Systems containers. Anything to simplify the process for you, so you can quickly move on to improving your impact on the environment.

Every year, we look to improve our minimum standard and you can watch our progress on our sustainability page to see how well we’re doing! Refer to the LEED rating system that applies to your project to learn more about these credits.