March 2010
KIPP: Will Academy Earns LEED Silver Certification
Diamond Waste provided roll-off dumpster rental, rubbish removal and recycling services during construction of the KIPP: Will Academy educational facility in Washington DC. The 15,000 sq. ft. facility achieved a silver certification under the LEED* for Schools Rating System. Mid-Atlantic Construction Magazine also recognized the school with an Award of Merit in the publication's Best of 2009 Awards.
For it's part in helping to achieving the school's LEED certification, Diamond Waste removed a total of 670 tons of new construction waste material. Of that, 633 tons, or 94%, of refuse including concrete, metal, wood, paper, gypsum and other debris was recycled - easily meeting the USGBC** LEED credit requirements.
USGBC LEED Materials and Recycling Construction Waste Management Credit 2 specifies that waste material must be diverted from landfill and incinerator disposal. A diversion rate of 50% will earn one point towards green building certification. A diversion rate of 75% will earn another point for two total towards LEED certification.
Due to job site space constraints, Diamond used a "single-stream" recycling method. In this process, recyclable C&D materials are discarded into a single, on-site roll-off dumpster then hauled to a sorting facility where the individual materials are sorted for recycling. These types of dumpster loads can include significant (more than 10%) non-recyclable materials. For this reason, single-stream recycling is considered less efficient than the "source separation" method (where multiple dumpsters are used on-site for separate disposal of specific materials). However single-stream is considered the best practice for urban job sites where space for roll-off dumpsters is limited.
All KIPP: Will Academy construction waste loads and recycling destinations were fully documented using Diamond's proprietary computer tracking system. As the job progressed, Diamond was able to review recycling progress and discuss results with the general contractor. This system of reporting and review allows for corrections and adjustments to assure LEED compliance and optimal recycling results.
Diamond Waste Services, Inc. is pleased to have been a part of and contributed to the successful green building of the LEED Certified Silver KIPP: Will Academy.
* Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
** United States Green Building Council
