Follow-up Questionnaire: Forum on SMM in the Built Envir

Follow-up Questionnaire: Forum on SMM in the Built Environment
Introduction
The following questionnaire is intended to obtain input from participants in the Forum on Life Cycle
Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and Infrastructure Projects (the Forum), which was
held January 31- February 1, 2018 in Washington, DC. During the Forum, participants were asked to identify
important next steps for the design and construction industry, non-profits, governments, and others to take to
advance sustainable materials management (SMM) in the built environment. EPA intended to conduct a
prioritization exercise for these next steps during the Forum. However, due to time constraints, EPA was
unable to complete the activity, and we are asking for participants’ “virtual” input now.
This questionnaire asks participants for input on the relative priority of the many actions, grouped into six
themes, identified during the Forum. For more detailed information on these themes please review the Forum
on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and Infrastructure Projects Summary
Report available on EPA’s website. Survey Gizmo estimates that this questionnaire will take you
approximately 8-12 minutes to complete. While the analysis and output will be anonymous and will not
include any identifying information, we will use information that you provided when registering for the Forum
to help interpret the data. If you would like to opt out of this questionnaire, please email us at
[email protected] by September 17, 2018.
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your valuable perspective!

Background and Perspective
The following questions ask about your background and perspective to help interpret responses to this
questionnaire.
1. What is your primary area of focus? *
Buildings
Non-building infrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges, water, energy)
Both buildings and non-building infrastructure
Other

2. How would you describe your primary role(s) relative to SMM in the built environment? (please choose all
that apply) *
Owner/operator of buildings or infrastructure (public or private)
Developer, construction contractor, and/or deconstruction contractor
Manufacturer and/or supplier of products/materials
Waste/materials handler and/or marketer
Architect
Engineer
Specifier
Administrator of certification/rating systems (e.g., director, researcher, staff)
Administrator of professional association (e.g., director, researcher, staff)
Federal, state or local public official
Researcher
Other

3. About how many years have you been engaged in projects involving SMM in the built environment? *
< 5 years
5 - 9 years
10 - 14 years
15+ years

Priorities for Action
The following questions ask you to rate the actions identified by participants in the Forum based on their
relative priority for advancing SMM in the built environment. The actions are grouped into six themes (one
per page).

Priorities for Collaboration and Partnerships
Forum participants emphasized the importance of collaboration and partnerships for advancing SMM in the
built environment—in general and in a specific project setting. Which of the following actions do you feel are
most important to promote collaboration and partnerships?

4. Develop and support collaboration among stakeholders across the environmental life cycle for the
following reasons: *
High
priority

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

Raise awareness and understanding
of the value of SMM to encourage
adoption of SMM approaches
Strengthen connections and reduce
barriers among practitioners to foster
trust and innovation in SMM
approaches
Comments

5. Facilitate collaboration on the following specific topics: *
High
priority
SMM in non-building infrastructure
(e.g., roads, bridges, water, energy)
Best practices and benefits of early
project-level collaboration to advance
SMM
Relationship between resiliency and
SMM
Health-based assessment standards
(e.g., related to chemical composition
of products)
Comments

Priorities for Innovation and Research

Forum participants highlighted the fact that sustainable solutions are often innovative, requiring research and
testing to demonstrate results, encourage adoption of successful ideas, and foster further innovation. Which
of the following actions do you feel are the highest priorities for innovation and research to advance SMM in
the built environment?
6. Support proof-of-concept testing of new materials, products and SMM approaches (e.g., conduct
demonstration projects, develop testing standards). *
High priority

Medium priority

Low priority

Not a priority

Don't know

Comments

7. Conduct and/or share research on the following topics: *
High
priority
Barriers and strategies for materials
recovery, processing and storage
infrastructure
Using rating systems and building
codes to promote resiliency and SMM
Innovative techniques for aligning
tenant and/or user behavior with
sustainability goals
Comments

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

8. Conduct research on the impact and best practices for recovery, separation, and reuse, recycling and/or
disposal of the following materials: *
High
priority

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

Polymers and composites
Treated wood
Gypsum wallboard
Other materials discussed during the
Forum (please identify in the Comment
box)
Comments

Priorities for Life-Cycle Data and Tools
Forum participants highlighted the need for more and better data and information management tools. Which
of the following actions do you feel are most important for developing life-cycle data and tools to advance
SMM in the built environment?
9. Develop and/or enhance life-cycle data in the following areas: *
High
priority
Life-cycle data for core building materials and products
(e.g., expanded scope of products, better quality data)
Connections between chemicals used in products and
potential impacts from product reuse, recycling and/or
disposal
Comments

Medium
Low
priority priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

10. Make existing life-cycle data more accessible and useful through the following actions: *
High
priority

Medium
Low
priority priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

Improve user-friendliness of existing life-cycle inventory
(LCI) data
Develop a common LCA data platform for use across
product transparency reports (e.g., environmental
product declarations) and rating systems
Comments

11. Help decision makers use existing green building and infrastructure rating systems to make more
informed choices through the following actions: *
High
priority
Enhance quality of rating systems to help ensure
comparability among different rating systems
Develop a unified approach for using different rating
systems in Federal, state, and local government
procurement decisions
Develop guidance on features and applicability of
different rating systems
Comments

Medium
Low
priority priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

12. Develop a system to track materials from their origin to their current use in building and infrastructure
stock. *
High priority

Medium priority

Low priority

Not a priority

Don't know

Comments

Priorities for Telling a Better Story About SMM Approaches
Forum participants discussed the need to "tell a better story" about the benefits of SMM approaches in the
built environment, including not only environmental benefits but also local economic and transformational
benefits. Which of the following actions do you feel are most important for conveying the benefits of using
SMM approaches in the built environment?
13. Develop and disseminate the following type of information ‒ in the form of case studies, reports,
brochures, fact sheets, info-graphics, ad campaigns, etc. ‒ about SMM approaches: *
High
priority
Economic benefits, including cost
savings and local economic benefits
Connections to other related
movements/initiatives familiar to
stakeholders
Comments

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

14. Develop the following types of resources to help share information about the benefits of SMM
approaches: *
High
priority

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

Clearinghouse of success stories and
demonstrated best practices
List of speakers willing and able to
explain the benefits in relevant forums
Comments

Priorities for Enhancing Secondary Material Markets
Forum participants emphasized that promoting next-life uses through secondary material markets will be
essential for advancing SMM approaches. Which of the following actions are most important for enhancing
secondary material markets?
15. Develop and disseminate the following types of information: *
High
priority
Practical guidance on collecting and
processing secondary materials for
new construction
A risk assessment framework to inform
decisions regarding use of secondary
materials
Information and practical guidance on
reverse supply chain processes for
large quantity products
Comments

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

16. Enact public policies intended to achieve the following: *
High
priority

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

Provide regulatory clarity regarding
“waste” status of recovered materials
Strengthen demand for secondary
materials (e.g., via public agency
procurement policies)
Provide incentives (e.g., tax
abatements) for materials recovery
and marketing
Promote independent certification of
construction and demolition recycling
facilities
Comments

Priorities for Shifting Paradigms
Throughout the Forum, participants noted important paradigm shifts that are taking place across the country.
These included: reducing the quantity of materials needed or the quantity of products needed upfront; shifts
from thinking about first costs to life-cycle costs; moving from planned obsolescence of products to designing
for durability and next-life uses; and moving from separate teams and roles on individual building projects to
more integrated teams and collaborative environments. Which of the following actions do you feel are most
important for advancing these paradigm shifts?

17. Raise awareness and foster change through the following actions: *
High
priority

Medium
priority

Low
priority

Not a
priority

Don't
know

Post information regarding existing
resources and tools regarding SMM
approaches on websites frequented by
key stakeholders
Conduct outreach via professional
associations to raise awareness of
potential benefits, best practices, and
resources available for SMM
approaches
Facilitate more widespread use of
costing approaches that encourage a
shift in emphasis from first costs to lifecycle costs
Highlight SMM approaches that
achieve desired outcomes (e.g.,
adaptive reuse first, resilient design for
long-term savings)
Comments

Near-term priorities
The preceding questions asked you to rate actions in terms of their importance in advancing SMM in the built
environment. The following questions ask you to identify near-term priorities from the actions that you
identified as "high priority." Near-term priorities are actions that could be undertaken now to achieve nearterm outcomes and/or lay the groundwork for other actions and long-term change.
[Design Note: We are currently working on a survey design approach that will populate the list under this
question with just those actions that the respondent identified in previous questions as "high priority."]
18. Please identify five items that you believe are the most important near-term priorities. *

Interest in Further Engagement

19. Please rate your interest in the following: *
Very interested

Somewhat interested

Not interested

Helping to plan future engagements
on SMM in the built environment
Attending and participating in future
engagements on SMM in the built
environment
Compiling and/or contributing to a list
of groups working on similar topics
Compiling and/or contributing to
resources to be included or referenced
in a clearinghouse of information on
SMM in the built environment
Hosting a clearinghouse of information
on SMM in the built environment
Receiving additional information on
SMM in the built environment (e.g.,
joining a list serve)
Comments

20. This concludes the questionnaire. Please let us know if there are any additional comments that you
would like to share regarding priorities for action discussed during the Forum.

Thank You!
Thank you for completing this questionnaire. Your response is very important to us.