Are you responsible for the maintenance of a LEED building, or one that is considering LEED certification?
If so, you need to know about the passage of LEED v4, which will officially go into effect this November.
There are a number of revisions in the new LEED v4 that will be discussed in more detail in the months to come, but the one area we are asked about the most deal with the purchase of cleaning chemicals for Existing Buildings: Operations and Management (LEED-EBOM).
In the new LEED v4, the threshold for the purchasing of janitorial cleaning products that comply with LEED standards has increased.
Under LEED v3 (2009), a facility needed to purchase at least 30% of cleaning chemicals that were recognized with third-party certifications as environmentally preferred.
LEED v4 has increased that threshold up to 75%, by cost, of the total annual purchases. Included in this 75% purchase threshold is the purchase of: cleaning products, hand soaps, disposable janitorial paper products and trash liners.
The acceptable LEED standards have been revised, as well, including these recognized third-party certifications: Green Seal, Environmental Choice (EcoLogo) and EPA DfE. Cleaning devices using ionized water are also acceptable if their performance data is equivalent to the three standards mentioned above.
Additionally, a facility’s Green Cleaning Policy is now a required element for LEED certification and acts as a pre-requisite for additional credits. Buildings must be cleaned by a provider (either in-house custodial staff or a contracted service provider) that is certified under either:
– Green Seal’s Environmental Standard for Commercial Cleaning Services (GS-42)
or
– ISSA’s CIMS-GB (Cleaning Industry Management Standard for Green Buildings)
At Cavalier, we can assist you in the pathway to LEED v4 recognition, as our staff holds CIMS I.C.E. certification. Give us a call for more information!
