Pre-Design Phase
Leverage Documents
Purchase Agreements
Prioritize reuse and recycling in the purchase agreement. This could influence how vendors develop products and will provide a starting point for clients/purchasers/facilities managers when they eventually consider demolition and renovation.
Leases
Leases can include a “Pledge” that sets guidelines for how the space can be renovated, used, and decommissioned responsibly.
Specifications for Landfill Diversion
Front-end specs can include language around landfill diversion as a default, with a cost built in. Clients can take that out if they are not interested, but at least it provides a prompt for a conversation.
Specifications for Recycling and Salvage
Specs for recycled content need to move away from percentage of investment as the metric—it should be based on volume of product. Some projects can set salvage minimums instead of goals for recycled content.
Owners’ Manuals
Owners’ manuals can include suggested second-life or landfill diversion strategies.They can include recommended resources for asset management, resale, donation, or salvage.
If you have feedback on the Climate Toolkit for Interior Design, write to: [email protected]