Material ingredient optimization

Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products for which the chemical ingredients in the product are inventoried using an accepted methodology and for selecting products verified to minimize the use and generation of harmful substances. To reward raw material manufacturers who produce products verified to have improved life-cycle impacts.

Requirements

Material ingredient optimization

Use products that document their material ingredient optimization using the paths below for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed products in the project.

• USGBC approved program. Products that comply with building product optimization criteria approved by USGBC.

• GreenScreen v1.2 Benchmark. Products that have fully inventoried chemical ingredients to 100 ppm that have no Benchmark 1 hazards:
  • If any ingredients are assessed with the GreenScreen List Translator, value these products at 100% of cost.
  • If all ingredients are have undergone a full GreenScreen Assessment, value these products at 150% of cost.
• Cradle to Cradle v2 Certified. End use products are certified Cradle to Cradle. Products will be valued as follows:
  • Cradle to Cradle Gold: 100% of cost
  • Cradle to Cradle Platinum: 150% of cost
• Cradle to Cradle v3 Certified. End use products are certified Cradle to Cradle. Products will be valued as follows:
  • Cradle to Cradle Silver: 100% of cost
  • Cradle to Cradle Gold or Platinum: 150% of cost
• International Alternative Compliance Path – REACH Optimization. End use products and materials that do not contain substances that meet REACH criteria for substances of very high concern. If the product contains no ingredients listed on the REACH Authorization¹ or Candidate² list, value at 100% of cost.

For credit achievement calculation, products sourced (extracted, manufactured, purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at 200% of their base contributing cost. For credit achievement calculation, the base contributing cost of individual products compliant with multiple responsible extraction criteria is not permitted to exceed 100% its total actual cost (before regional multipliers) and double counting of single product components compliant with multiple responsible extraction criteria is not permitted and in no case is a product permitted to contribute more than 200% of its total actual cost.

Structure and enclosure materials may not constitute more than 30% of the value of compliant building products.