New Construction / International / 2013 /

07 - Waste

Information correct as of 26thDecember 2024. Please see kb.breeam.com for the latest compliance information.

Alternatives to composting - KBCN0465

In anaerobic digesters, organic waste is digested by micro-organisms which break down fats, oils and grease. Digesters where the only output is water that is safe to discharge into drains and sewers are acceptable alternatives to composting. Macerators which simply reduce solids into small pieces through a shredding or grinding process and flush the residue into the drainage system are not an acceptable alternative to composting.

Apportioning foundations where not all floors are assessed - KBCN0643

Where a development does not include all the storeys of a building, not all of the aggregates used in the building foundations need to be included in the assessment.  Any apportioning must be justified and calculated by a structural engineer, and it is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure that the process used is appropriate, robust and meets the aim of the credit issue.

Communal waste storage – Requirement for this to be external in Criterion 1 - KBCN1513

Communal waste storage areas can be located within the building. However, where such waste is stored internally, it must be in a location that demonstrably provides suitable environmental conditions, meets relevant fire, health and safety requirements for waste storage and has appropriate external access for waste collection.

Considering Sand and Cement Replacements - KBCN0181

Neither sand or cement replacements should be taken into account when assessing the percentage of recycled or secondary aggregate used in a project. The recycled aggregates issue only assesses the use of coarse aggregates.   
29/03/2017 Title amended and additional reference to cement substitutes added
 

Contractor not yet appointed at the design stage - KBCN000002

Where the contractor has not been engaged at the design stage certification, it is acceptable to award the credits based on a commitment. This commitment must be from a suitable member of the design team, and must detail the targets and criteria which must be met. Evidence must also confirm that the details in the commitment will form part of the contractual requirements. Note: This does not apply to the requirement for a pre-demolition/pre-refurbishment audit, which must be undertaken at Concept Design Stage. 
12 Jul 2022 - Note added to clarify the scope of this guidance
 

Demolition – external guidelines (incl BS 6187) - KBCN0630

Independent standards exist and some are referenced in the BREEAM manual and can be used to provide additional guidance for clients/design teams. Unless explicitly stated they are not 'deemed to satisfy' BREEAM criteria and assessors must demonstrate that BREEAM criteria have been met in the usual way. One such standard is BS 6187:2011 which gives good practice recommendations for the demolition (both full and partial) of facilities, including buildings and structures. The standard is therefore applicable to demolition activities undertaken as part of structural refurbishment. It also covers decommissioning. Unless explicitly stated external standards do not automatically satisfy BREEAM criteria and assessors must demonstrate that BREEAM criteria have been met in the usual way. 

Demolition records not available - KBCN1009

Where demolition records are missing, either wholly or in part, the credit available for diversion of construction and demolition waste from landfill cannot be achieved. This includes instances where demolition was conducted under a separate contract or by a third party on behalf of the developer.

Designed-out or integrated finishes - KBCN1066

The requirements for this credit are met when either: This issue recognises avoiding unnecessary waste of materials. 
16-May-2023 - Merged with KBCN0046. Scheme applicability updated. Name updated for clarity.
 

Excluding applications from assessment - KBCN0875

Where a structural engineer has determined that recycled or secondary aggregate cannot be used in line with the criteria for a particular application, or where they will not allow the minimum BREEAM level to be used, that application can be excluded from the assessment. Where the engineer allows some content to be used, this percentage must still be specified in the excluded application. The engineer's decision must be suitably justified (for example following the BS8500 series and associated standards) and must be provided as evidence for the BREEAM assessment.

Excluding excavation waste from ‘Diversion of resources from landfill’ - KBCN0226

Excavation waste should not be included and assessed against the requirements under ‘Diversion of resources from landfill’. This also applies to BREEAM Communities RE05 - 3rd/4th credits.  

Existing materials recycled on site - KBCN0813

When existing elements are recycled (ie crushed and used as aggregate) on site, they can contribute to awarding credits as recycled aggregates. This issue aims to recognise and encourage the use of recycled and secondary aggregates and addresses waste rather than materials. It refers to recycled aggregate obtained on-site or off-site, based on materials identified as waste and removed during construction works.  
Previous incorrect KBCN text amended. CN 'Aggregates in existing applications' to be amended accordingly in next reissue of the RFO Technical manuals.

External works – waste reporting requirements - KBCN1379

Waste arising from external works does not need to be included within the calculations for construction resource efficiency. To do so would be incongruous with reporting waste relative to the building's floor area. This follows the logic of excluding excavation waste from this criterion. However, waste from external works should be addressed in the RMP and should also be reported in the calculations for the Diversion of resources from landfill credit, which is not reported relative to the building's floor area.

Granular fill and capping - KBCN1378

Granular fill and capping only refers to roadworks and not building foundations.

Multiple developments monitoring construction waste on a site - KBCN00036

Where the same contractor is working on a site with more than one development, a single Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP)/Resource Management Plan (RMP) can be produced to demonstrate compliance, if it can be justified that separation of the waste would be impractical. Where the developments are of a similar nature, such as all new-build or all refurbishment with similar scope, the results from the whole development can be apportioned on the basis of floor area to derive the figures upon which the separate developments will be assessed. Where the buildings are not similar, the design team will need to provide calculations to demonstrate that the waste has been apportioned as accurately as possible according to the project types. 
21/11/16 Clarification added in relation to dissimilar projects on the same site.

Off-site waste sorting / no dedicated on-site waste storage - KBCN0696

BREEAM assesses the dedicated space for recyclable waste storage. This must be a permanent structure on-site, or space in the asset. Where this space does not exist: For NC or RFO The aim of the issue is met by provide evidence covering all points 1-4:
  1. A waste management plan which provides on-site storage between collections, adequately sized based on the frequency of collection.
  2. An on-going waste recycling contract.
  3. The typical recycling rates from the waste management company.
  4. A permanent structure (or internal space) within the asset site boundary that can be converted to comply with all criteria requirements. Layout drawings must be provided showing how this space could be converted in future, including meeting all relevant criteria for: • User and vehicle access, • Area requirements for waste storage, • Appropriate size and number of containers for the expected waste streams, and • Space allowance for any additional waste processing requirements e.g. compactors, composting containers, water outlets etc.
This ensures that there is: For BIU The above approach for NC / RFO only applies to waste storage for construction fit-outs, which are temporary in nature. It does not apply to any other credits, and compliance cannot be met based on future commitments. This means that the above approach: For BIU, new storage areas will be recognised once they are completed and assessed in future certification cycles. 
18-Nov-2024 - Requirements for BIU projects clarified relating to all answers in Rsc 02. Title clarified.
09-Feb-2024 - Requirements clarified. Applicability updated to include construction waste storage for BIU V6 Rsc 02.
17-Jan-2024 - Scheme applicability updated.
16-Apr-2018 - Wording clarified.

Operational waste requirement for catering – applicability - KBCN1162

The additional operational waste storage requirement for developments which include catering is generally only applicable where a commercial scale kitchen is present. Where the design team can justify that there will be no significant waste streams from a modest facility, such as a small cafe, selling only drinks and pre-prepared snacks, the additional waste storage area identified in the default values does not need to be provided to meet compliance.

Operational waste storage sizing - KBCN0560

The dedicated space requirements given in the technical manual are default guidance, for situations where it is not possible to demonstrate the required size based on known waste streams. Compliance can, therefore, be achieved provided that it is clearly demonstrated and evidenced that there is adequate justification for the type of facilities & size of waste storage provided, and that the assessor is satisfied that the sizes and facilities meet the criteria based on the building type, occupancy and the likely waste volumes generated as a result of these.

Pre-demolition audit & diversion of resources from landfill - KBCN00025

There is currently no requirement to carry out a pre-demolition audit to allow the award of the credit for diversion of resources from landfill.

Pre-demolition audit – demolition in a later phase - KBCN1012

Where the demolition of an existing building forms part of the works to enable the assessed development, a pre-demolition audit must be carried out to comply with the criteria, even if the demolition occurs as part of a later phase. 
28/02/2018 Wording amended for clarity

Pre-demolition audit requirement - KBCN0243

Where the site demolition/clearance does not form part of the principal contractor’s works, but has been undertaken by the developer for the purposes of enabling the assessed development, a pre-demolition audit must be carried out and referenced within the SWMP as per the guidance. Where justification and robust evidence can be provided, the following exceptions may apply: This requirement seeks to encourage good practice by developers and design teams in relation to previously developed sites. 
28.03.2022 Reference to pre-refurbishment audit removed, and separate KBCN1504 drafted for pre-refurbishment audit exemptions.
11.12.2019 Additional exception added to align with KBCN1257 and guidance re-structured for clarity
22.11.2017 Reference added to the pre-refurbishment audit for RFO assessments.
15.11.2017 Wording amended for clarity

Pre-demolition audit/(pre-refurbishment) on other structures and hard surfaces - KBCN00045

A pre-demolition/(pre-refurbishment) audit is required where any existing buildings, structures or hard surfaces are present on a development site. The intent of the pre-demolition/(pre-refurbishment) audit is to ensure that any potentially useful materials are considered for re-use or diversion from landfill, not just materials resulting from buildings.  
22.11.17 Reference added to the pre-refurbishment audit for RFO assessments.

Proposing national best practice guidance on defining granular fill and capping as a high grade use - KBCN1138

Recycled aggregates used for granular fill and capping can only be considered ‘high grade’ if they:
  1. conform to specifications in national best practice guidance (refer to the ASWL).
  2. OR, where there is no national best practice guidance approved, new guidance can be proposed to BRE for approval:
    • Specifications in national best practice guidance must include as a minimum, limits and requirements on the properties listed in Checklist A6.
    • Specifications must be specifically for recycled aggregate for use as granular fill or capping.
    • National best practice guidance is not required to cover test methodologies.
  3. OR, alternatively, the UK standard ‘Specification for Highway Works (SHW) Series 600 Earthworks’ and classifications as listed in the relevant definition section of the UK NC 2014 manual can be used.
If none of these apply, the recycled aggregates should be considered ‘low grade’ and excluded from the assessment of the Issue.

Recyclable, general and organic waste storage – space, labelling and segregation - KBCN1577

Strategies may vary according to the specifics of each project, their waste streams and collection arrangements. The aim of these requirements is to encourage recycling, ensuring that it is correctly sorted and to prevent cross-contamination of waste streams. Label the recycling area This is required to alert building users and collection agencies to the location of the recycling facility. Label each recyclable waste stream This can be done by labelling the bins or their dedicated space within the recycling facility, or both. Mixed recycling bins and / or spaces are clearly labelled with their constituent waste streams. General or organic waste have their own dedicated spaces Sufficient space for general and, where relevant, organic waste is required in addition to meeting the requirements for recyclable waste. This does not have to be within a separate facility, but if combined with recyclable waste storage, there is greater risk of cross-contamination. The following requirements apply in this situation: If provision of waste bins is out of scope Where the provision of waste bins is outside the scope of the developer, it is clearly not possible to label the bins. In this situation, the following compliance options are available: 
21-May-2024 - Link to KBCN0696 removed. Merged with KBCN1380. Minor clarification added on mixed recycling.

Recycled aggregate evidence prior to contractor’s appointment - KBCN0231

If the contractor has not been appointed at the time of submitting the Design Stage assessment, whilst it is imperative for the design team to demonstrate a firm commitment to meet the criteria and award the credit at this stage, a letter from the design team or developer to confirm that no contractor has been appointed should be submitted in lieu of the stated letter of confirmation. This should also be clarified in the Assessment Report. BREEAM recognises that it may not be desirable to confirm the specification, source and availability of a particular recycled aggregate for a project where the contractor has not been appointed yet. This would restrict the contractor's ability to source the most economically viable recycled aggregate to meet the BREEAM criteria.

Recycled aggregates in concrete - KBCN0823

The relevant CN in the technical manual, which confirms that no concessions are given to the criteria, reads: ‘Where national building regulations limit the use of recycled aggregates in concrete (typically applicable to bound aggregate uses as listed), the onus for achieving this credit is on the unbound uses (please note that the total aggregate figure must still include the bound uses).’ To clarify, in the calculation, the percentage of recycled aggregates in both bound and unbound uses can be considered against the total high grade use for the project.   
Technical manual to be updated accordingly in next reissue.
 

Self-contained dwellings / bedrooms with shared facilities – mixed recycling - KBCN1664

Where there is mixed recycling, the number of recyclables containers can be reduced to match the final waste streams being collected. For example, the standard BREEAM requirement is three recyclables containers per dwelling / communal facility. The total combined storage volume requirements are the same as stated in the manuals. To apply this KBCN, the project team must provide evidence to QA of the waste collection policies that apply to the asset.

Solid concrete washout - KBCN00063

Solid concrete washout waste should be included in the waste resource efficiency benchmarks.  

Speculative floor finishes – Take-back and re-use policy - KBCN1702

Where a developer has an established written policy whereby unwanted floor finishes will be removed for re-use elsewhere prior to the tenant taking possession, this can be considered as meeting the aim of this issue. This is only applicable to types of flooring which are suitable for re-use, can be easily removed and do not require the use of adhesives or other permanent means of fixing. Additionally, the tenancy agreement must otherwise prohibit the removal of the flooring by the tenant Evidence to support this approach would include: • A copy of the take-back policy • Details of the flooring type and material • A copy of the tenancy agreement

Speculative office including floor finishes/suspended ceiling - KBCN0259

The requirements can still be met where a speculative development includes the installation of floor finishes/suspended ceilings provided a Lease Agreement will be implemented to confirm that tenants are not permitted to remove these finishes. BREEAM recognises that incoming tenants may need to adapt ceiling or floor finishes to suit the requirements of their fit-out. Therefore, where these finishes are installed throughout, in line with Criterion 2, the following applies: A tenancy agreement, applied to the first tenancy, should stipulate that floor or ceiling finishes may only be modified where necessary, for example, to accommodate new partitions, lighting or other services, to replace worn or damaged components or to replace small, localised areas with a specialist floor or ceiling to account for abnormal conditions, such as wet areas. Documentary evidence of this must be provided as evidence for the credit to be awarded. 
18/04/2017 KBCN made applicable to NC 2016 and IRFO 2015  
05/07/2018 Paragraph added to clarify the requirements of the tenancy agreement
27 Jul 2021 Clarified that the terms of paragraph 2 apply also to floor finishes

Suitability of waste storage facilities - KBCN0186

In situations where direct vehicular access to the recyclable waste store is limited by logistics or if size is a problem, for example inner city locations, some flexibility to the application of the criteria is allowed. The assessor can use their judgement on whether the storage space is appropriately sized and if the distance and changes in level via lifts or steps are acceptable. Convenience, H&S issues and the volume and type of waste likely to be generated must be considered.  Where the assessor deems the arrangement to be satisfactory this would be acceptable. Typically ‘accessible’ is defined as being within 20m of a building entrance. In some circumstances site restrictions or tenancy arrangements could mean it is not possible for the facilities to be within 20m of a building entrance. If, in the opinion of the BREEAM assessor it is not feasible for the facilities to be within 20m of a building entrance, their judgement can be used to determine if the facility is deemed to be ‘accessible’ to the building occupants and for vehicle collection.

Using BRE SMARTWaste tool - KBCN0236

BRE SMARTWaste may be helpful in demonstrating the construction waste benchmarks; however its use is not compulsory to achieve the credits. Reference to the SMARTWaste tool has been included in the issue as an example of a tool that can be used to manage and monitor waste generated during construction.  

Waste management practices - KBCN0247

16/04/2018 This compliance note is no longer valid as it does not fully explain how to approach this Issue. Please refer to the technical guidance and other compliance notes, such as KBCN0696, which deals with co-mingled recyclable waste. The requirement to provide a dedicated space for the segregation and storage of operational recyclable waste, as well as relevant facilities (e.g. for large amounts of packaging and/or compostible waste), relates to the building, not the occupier or the local authorities. A dedicated space and facilities must be provided irrespective of the waste management practices of the relevant stakeholders. The BREEAM certification relates to the building, not the occupier's or the local authorities' waste management practices. Therefore, the provision of a dedicated space and the relevant facilities is required to ensure the building's operational recyclable waste streams is diverted from landfill. 
22/02/2017 Amended to include facilities (in addition to dedicated spaces)

Waste storage provision for catering - KBCN0755

As the manual states, the additional 2m2 per 1000 m2 of waste storage area provided for catering is measured against the "net floor area where catering is provided" and NOT the floor area of the catering facility. Generally, a catering facility will serve building users throughout the building. If it can be demonstrated that this is not the case, for example if part of the development is subject to a separate tenancy, not served by the catering facility, the area calculation can be adjusted accordingly. Where the net floor area is not indicative of the actual occupancy, the default values may not be appropriate. In such cases, the predicted waste streams should be calculated based on the actual occupancy and waste streams generated. This requirement accounts for the increase in waste produced by building based on the likely number of building users served by the catering facility. Please note that these default calculations are only intended for use where it is not possible to determine accurately what provision should be made based on predicted waste streams.  
15 06 2017 Wording updated to clarify

Water outlet - KBCN0824

A water outlet referred to in criterion 3.c is meant to be any device able to supply water (tap, faucet, hose, etc.)

[KBCN withdrawn] ~ No floor or ceiling finishes fitted - KBCN00046

Where the developer has not specified or installed any floor or ceiling finishes, the requirements are met. This issue recognises where the potential for generating unnecessary waste of materials has been avoided.  
16-May-2023 - Merged with KBCN1066. Withdrawn.
20-Dec-2017 - KBCN wording simplified to add clarity.
 

[Withdrawn] Labelling and signage – Where provision of waste bins is out of scope - KBCN1380

[This KBCN has been merged with KBCN1577]. Where the provision of waste bins is outside the scope of the developer, it is clearly not possible to label the bins. In this situation, the following compliance options are available:
  1. Provide compliant signage to the storage area and label bin spaces within the storage area according to the relevant waste streams.
  2. Where future waste streams are unknown, provide compliant signage to the storage area and a written commitment from the developer to ensure that the bins and/or bin spaces are labelled.
See also KBCN1577 It is recognised that the bins may be provided by the tenant, local authority or waste management company after the time of certification. 
21-May-2024 - Withdrawn. Merged with KBCN1577.
22-Mar-2023 - Updated to align with KBCN1577 and to clarify applicability to all assessment types where providing bins is out of scope.
Information correct as of 26thDecember 2024. Please see kb.breeam.com for the latest compliance information.