RE06 - Resource efficiency – Above Green

(4 credits available)

Aim

To promote resource efficiency by reducing waste during construction and throughout the life cycle of the development.

Assessment Criteria

The following is required to demonstrate compliance:

One credit

Where existing buildings and infrastructures on the site have been identified in RE 02 – Existing buildings and infrastructure for refurbishment, reuse or demolition, an audit of any existing buildings, structures or hard surfaces is completed to maximise the recovery of material from demolition or refurbishment for subsequent high-grade applications. The audit must be referenced in the waste management strategy or plan and cover:
- identification and quantification of the key refurbishment or demolition materials.
- potential applications and any related issues for the reuse and recycling of the key refurbishment and demolition materials.
Where the works are likely to produce excavation waste (soils and stones), the following is assessed and referenced within the waste management strategy or plan:
- an estimate of the amount of excavation waste generated
- how to maximise reuse of excavation waste on site if feasible, and if not, how to maximise the recovery of material.
The design team has embedded resource efficiency within the overall scheme design with specific reference to best practice guidance principles for Designing out Waste principles for any civil engineering works being undertaken on-site and at the building level.
A waste management strategy or plan has been completed to confirm the estimated amount and types of construction, demolition, and excavation waste from the site development, including infrastructure development and landscaping.

Two credits

Criteria 1 to 4 are achieved.
Landscape designs have been informed by and make reference to the waste management strategy or plan, with specific aims to retain construction, demolition and excavation materials and waste on site.
Where design work has already started at the building level, designs make reference to to best practice guidance principles for Designing out Waste principles and are informed by the waste management strategy or plan. Where plot or building level developer agreements are not yet in place this must be a requirement of the development project.
Where individual plots are developed independent to the whole site, the developer has provided a written commitment to reduce and recover waste during the construction phase and put in place contractual agreements with the main contractor or waste management contractor.

Three to Four credits

Criteria 1 to 8 are achieved.
The developer has provided a written commitment that an agreement will be in place at the start of construction to divert non-hazardous construction and non-hazardous demolition waste from landfill (based on the estimate from criterion 2):

Credits	Type of waste	Volume	Tonnage
Three	Non-hazardous construction	70%	80%
Three	Non-hazardous demolition	80%	90%
Four	Non-hazardous construction	85%	90%
Four	Non-hazardous demolition	85%	95%

Compliance Notes

Ref	Terms	Description
CN1	Pre-demolition audit . See criterion 1	A pre-demolition audit should be carried out using an appropriate methodology. The institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has produce guidance on pre-demolition audits, including ‘The Demolition Protocol’ and the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP – http://www.wrap.org.uk) also provides guidance. This may be consulted if there are no national references available.
CN2	High-grade application . See criterion 1	Crushed material used as fill material on site is not considered to be a high-grade application. This practice is now commonplace on construction sites.
CN3	Best practice guidance principles for Designing out Waste. See criterion 3	Please refer to the country-specific reference sheet in the BREEAM Communities Approved Standards list to locate the appropriate equivalent LCA tool in the country of assessment. Alternatively, please demonstrate applicability as follows: The minimum requirements as set out in the approved standards list are covered by the proposed documents and are submitted to BRE Global for approval; OR Where appropriate alternative standards do not exist for a country, the design team should demonstrate compliance with the UK or European standards as listed in each relevant country reference sheet.1
CN4	Waste management strategy or plan. See criteria 2 and 4	A waste management strategy is one that defines: a target benchmark for resource efficiency, e.g. m³ or tonnes of non-hazardous construction waste per 100m² procedures and commitments for minimising non-hazardous construction waste in line with the benchmark procedures for minimising hazardous waste estimated amounts and types of refurbishment or demolition, excavation waste and construction waste, where applicable procedures for monitoring, measuring and reporting hazardous and non-hazardous construction, demolition and excavation waste, where applicable procedures for sorting, reusing and recycling construction and demolition waste, where applicable, into defined waste groups (see Additional Information section 'Best practice waste management strategy or plan'), either on site or through a licensed external contractor procedures for sorting or reusing on site, where feasible, and recycling excavation waste, where applicable the name or job title of the individual responsible for implementing the above.
CN5	Diversion from landfill . See criterion 10	Diversion from landfill includes: reusing the material on site (in-situ or for new applications) reusing the material on other sites salvaging or reclaiming the material for reuse returning material to the supplier via a ‘take-back’ scheme recovery of the material from site by an approved waste management contractor to be recycled or sent for energy recovery.

Evidence

Criteria No.	Final Assessment
1	A copy of the pre-demolition audit.
2 & 4	A copy of the waste management strategy or plan.
3 & 6	Design specifications.
7	Design specifications or a written commitment from the developer.
8 & 10	Written commitment from the developer.

Additional Information

Relevant definitions:

Waste management strategy or plan

Aims to promote resource efficiency and to prevent illegal waste activities. Resource efficiency includes minimising waste at source and ensuring that clients, designers and principal contractors assess the use, reuse and recycling of materials and products on and off the site.

Pre-demolition audits

These provide detailed information on materials that can be reclaimed and recycled, so reducing the cost and environmental impact of waste disposal, bringing savings from re-using existing materials and earnings from selling those that aren't needed.

Best practice waste management strategy or plan

Best practice is a combination of commitments to:

Design out waste
Reduce waste generated on site
Develop and implement procedures to sort and reuse/recycle construction, demolition and excavation waste on and off site (as applicable).
National or regional guidance from governmental departments or independent bodies in the field of waste management. Please refer to the country-specific reference sheet in the BREEAM Communities Approved Standards list to locate the appropriate equivalent LCA tool in the country of assessment. Alternatively, please demonstrate applicability as follows:

The minimum requirements as set out in the approved standards list are covered by the proposed documents and are submitted to BRE Global for approval; OR

Where appropriate alternative standards do not exist for a country, the design team should demonstrate compliance with the UK or European standards as listed in each relevant country reference sheet.

The following guidance may be consulted if there are no national references available:

from:

Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

BRE

WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme)

CL:AIRE (Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments).

BRE's SMARTWaste Plan (www.smartwaste.co.uk) can be used to prepare, implement and review a waste management strategy including measuring waste. As part of the SMARTWaste Membership scheme, energy and water consumption and the procurement of certified timber can also be monitored. Other tools are available from WRAP.