Materials and Resources: Purchasing, Waste, and Ongoing Consumables
What the domain tests
MR performance questions test ongoing purchasing, waste diversion, and the difference between consumables, durable goods, and renovation waste. Expect calculations and documentation-boundary questions.
Core rules
- Purchasing credits look at ongoing consumables, durable goods, and facility maintenance and renovation products; each category has its own scope and documentation.
- Prefer products with recognized sustainability attributes-recycled content, bio-based content, certified sourcing, low emissions-and track purchases by cost or weight as the credit requires.
- Waste performance uses actual hauls or vendor reports for a 12-month period. Diversion rate = diverted material ÷ total waste generated, with consistent units.
- Contamination can disqualify a load; a “recycled” label on a hauler invoice is not enough if the material is actually landfilled.
- Ongoing consumables include paper, toner, food, and janitorial supplies; durable goods include furniture and equipment; renovation waste is tracked separately.
- Keep purchase and waste records aligned with the same building boundary and performance period.
Worked example
A building generates 100 tons of waste in a year: 55 tons recycled, 10 tons composted, and 35 tons landfilled. Diversion is (55 + 10) ÷ 100 = 65%. If 8 tons of the recycling load are rejected for contamination, the verified diversion falls to 57 ÷ 100 = 57%. The team reports the corrected figure and notes the rejection rather than claiming 65%.
Traps
Using volume and weight interchangeably; counting construction debris in ongoing waste; claiming diversion without haul receipts; ignoring contamination; and mixing purchasing cost thresholds with waste weight thresholds.