MRc1: Purchasing – Above Green

(1 point)

Intent

To reduce environmental harm from materials and products purchased, used, installed, and disposed of during the operations and maintenance of buildings.

Requirements

Interiors projects may select up to four options, to earn 4 points.

Option 1. Ongoing Consumables

For at least one month, track all ongoing consumable purchases. Purchase at least 50% (1 point) or 75% (2 points, Interiors only), by cost, of total ongoing consumables that meet at least one of the following criteria.

Recycled materials and products. The content of purchases must meet or exceed the levels listed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. Products not covered by the Guidelines can get credit for their recycled content with no minimum.
Extended use. Batteries must be rechargeable. Toner cartridges for laser printers must be remanufactured.
Bio-based products. Bio-based products must meet the Sustainable Agriculture Network’s Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Bio-based raw materials must be tested using ASTM Test Method D6866 and be legally harvested, as defined by the exporting and receiving country. Exclude hide products, such as leather and other animal skin material.
Paper and wood products. Paper and wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or USGBC-approved equivalent.
Materials reuse. Reuse includes salvaged, refurbished, or reused products.
Extended producer responsibility. Products purchased from a manufacturer (producer) that participates in an extended producer responsibility program or is directly responsible for extended producer responsibility.
Cradle to Cradle Certified. Products purchased have earned Cradle to Cradle certification of any level, Version 3 or newer.

Option 2. Building Materials

For at least one month, track all building material purchases (including furniture) used and/or installed as part of space reconfigurations, additions/alternations, or renovations. Purchase at least 50% (1 point) or 75% (2 points, Interiors only), by cost, of total building materials that meet at least one of the following criteria under Reporting, Optimization, and other attributes.

Reporting:

Health Product Declaration. The end use product has a published, complete Health Product Declaration with full disclosure of known hazards in compliance with the Health Product Declaration open Standard.
Cradle to Cradle Certified. Products purchased have earned Cradle to Cradle certification of any level, Version 3 or newer.
Declare. The Declare label must indicate that all ingredients have been evaluated and disclosed down to 1000 ppm.
ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard: Documentation from the assessor or scorecard from BIFMA must demonstrate the product earned at least 3 points under 7.5.1.3 Advanced Level in e3-2014 or 3 points under 7.4.1.3 Advanced Level in e3-2012.
Product Lens certification Facts - NSF/ANSI 336. Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric at any certification level
Environmental product declaration (EPD): Products having an environmental product declaration that conform to ISO 14025, 14040, 14044, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope. The EPD can be either industry-wide (generic) EPD or product specific Type III EPD with third party external verification in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as the participant by the program operator.

Optimization:

GreenScreen v1.2 Benchmark. Products with fully inventoried chemical ingredients to 100 ppm with no Benchmark 1 hazards.
Cradle to Cradle certified. Products purchased have earned Cradle to Cradle certification of any level, Version 3 or newer.
EPD Optimization path: Products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that are third-party certified and demonstrate impact reduction below industry average in at least three of the following categories:
- global warming potential (greenhouse gases), in CO2e;
- depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, in kg CFC-11;
- acidification of land and water sources, in moles H+ or kg SO2;
- eutrophication, in kg nitrogen or kg phosphate;
- formation of tropospheric ozone, in kg NOx, kg O3 eq, or kg ethene; and
- depletion of nonrenewable energy resources, in MJ.
Product Manufacturer Supply Chain Optimization: Purchase products meeting any of the following supply chain optimization criteria:
- Are sourced from product manufacturers who engage in validated and robust safety, health, hazard, and risk programs which at a minimum document at least 99% (by weight) of the ingredients used to make the building product or building material, and
- Are sourced from product manufacturers with independent third party verification of their supply chain that at a minimum verifies:
- Processes are in place to communicate and transparently prioritize chemical ingredients along the supply chain according to available hazard, exposure and use information to identify those that require more detailed evaluation
- Processes are in place to identify, document, and communicate information on health, safety and environmental characteristics of chemical ingredients
- Processes are in place to implement measures to manage the health, safety and environmental hazard and risk of chemical ingredients.
- Processes are in place to optimize health, safety and environmental impacts when designing and improving chemical ingredients.
- Processes are in place to communicate, receive and evaluate chemical ingredient safety and stewardship information along the supply chain. Safety and stewardship information about the chemical ingredients is publicly available from all points along the supply chain
Extended producer responsibility. Products purchased from a manufacturer (producer) that participates in an extended producer responsibility program or is directly responsible for extended producer responsibility.
Wood products. Wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or USGBC-approved equivalent.
Materials reuse. Reuse includes salvaged, refurbished, or reused products.
Recycled content. Recycled content is the sum of postconsumer recycled content plus one-half the preconsumer recycled content, based on cost.

Other:

Low formaldehyde requirements. Built-in cabinetry and architectural millwork containing composite woods must be constructed from materials documented to have low formaldehyde emissions that meet the California Air Resources Board requirements for ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) resins or no-added formaldehyde based resins. Salvaged and reused architectural millwork more than one year old at the time of occupancy is considered compliant, provided it meets the requirements for any site-applied paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants.
Low emissions of volatile organic compounds excluding furniture: The following products must either be inherently nonemitting or be tested and determined compliant in accordance with California Department of Public Health Standard Method v1.2–2017, using the applicable exposure scenario. For products for school classrooms, the testing should be performed using the classroom scenario, for all other products use the default private office scenario. Both first-party and third-party statements of product compliance must follow the guidelines in CDPH SM v1.2–2017, Section 8. Organizations that certify manufacturers’ claims must be accredited under ISO Guide 65. Laboratories that conduct the tests must be accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 for the test methods they use.
Zero Waste Manufacturing: Products are made from manufacturers that have achieved certification of their waste minimization during operations. Acceptable certifications include third-party verified TRUE (zero waste certification) and UL Standard 2799.

Furniture specific requirements:

Any of the optimization related attributes are applicable to furniture.
Low emissions of volatile organic compounds for furniture: Low emissions of volatile organic compounds. Products must have been tested, following ANSI/BIFMA Standard Method M7.1–2011, and must comply with ANSI/BIFMA e3-2011 Furniture Sustainability Standard 7.6.2. For classroom furniture, use the standard school classroom model in CDPH Standard Method v1.2. Salvaged and reused furniture more than one year old at the time of use is considered compliant, provided it meets the requirements for any site-applied paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants.

Option 3. Electronic Equipment

For at least one month, track all electronic equipment purchases. Purchase at least 50%, by cost, electronic equipment that meets at least one of the following criteria. In addition, create a phase-out plan to replace remaining products with compliant equipment at the end of their useful life.

EPEAT rating. The equipment must have a silver Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) rating or better.
ENERGY STAR rating. If the equipment does not yet fall under the EPEAT rating systems, it must be ENERGY STAR® qualified or performance equivalent for projects outside the U.S.
Lamps. Lamps must contain no mercury (with equivalent energy efficiency as mercury containing lamps) or have an average low mercury content of 25 picograms per lumen-hour or less.

Option 4. Food and Beverage

For at least one month, track all food and beverages. Purchase at least 15%, by cost, of total combined food and beverage purchases must meet at least one of the following criteria. Exclude wine, beer, and liquor purchases from the credit calculations.

Sustainable agriculture. The food or beverage must be labeled USDA Organic, Food Alliance Certified, Rainforest Alliance Certified, Protected Harvest Certified, Fair Trade, or Marine Stewardship Council’s Blue Eco-Label, or labeled with the European Community Organic Production logo in accordance with Regulations (EC) No. 834/2007 and (EC) No. 889/2008.
Local sourcing. The food or beverage must contain raw materials harvested and produced within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the site.