The re-use of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste materials reserves more raw materials for the use of future generations. The recycling of C&D waste is a growing industry, driven by efforts like those of the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Among other requirements, LEED projects are required to meet minimum recycling rates of the C&D waste.

In addition, Sustainability Departments of many municipal governments are requiring that all C&D waste generated within the municipality be recycled at a minimum standard rate.

Stakeholder groups that use the statistics of C&D recycling facilities are beginning to request substantiation of the reported recovery and recycling rates. The Institute for Certification of Sustainable Recyclers (ICSR) was created to meet this growing need for reliable recovery and recycling reporting by C&D recycling facilities.

The ICSR uses independent third-party evaluators to the certify accuracy and reliability of the recovery/recycling rates reported. Providing a rigorous set of protocols, guidelines, and tools to professionally review and certify the recovery/recycling reports of participating C&D recyclers, the Institute is intended to increase certainty and build confidence in the C&D recycling marketplace on the part of project owners, architects, the environmental community, municipalities and the public.

To contact the Institute or the Executive Director:

Email: info@recyclingcertification.org