Prefabricated metal and wood ceiling systems can be cut to size and for penetrations in the factory where it is usually easier to collect and recycle trimmings. Prefabrication also simplifies installation and coordination at the job site. Where field cutting can not be avoided, aluminum panels are still advantageous for construction waste management. Whereas mineral fiber ceilings can now be recycled at a growing number of collection points, there is no redemption value to the material. Recycled aluminum, on the other hand, has significant salvage value and a ready market, powerful incentives to encourage installer participation in a recycling program.

Designing for Resource Recovery and Reuse: LEED Credit MR-3 addresses the reuse of salvaged or reused materials within the current project. But LEED does not currently recognize the environmental importance of planning for future reuse of building components. In other industries, such as automotive and contract furniture, attention is being given to designing products that can be readily disassembled so that resources can be recovered and reused at the highest possible level.

While it is easy enough to demolish most ceilings systems, reuse of ordinary ceiling materials is unlikely. Mineral fiber panels, for example, are typically discolored after years of use, repainting them reduces their acoustical performance, and panels are too frangible to be collected for reuse. On the other hand, perforated panels resist damage, can be cleaned or repainted without loss of acoustical properties, and can be salvaged intact for any number of reuses.

Life-Cycle Assessment: Another step beyond LEED's checklist approach is to conduct a rigorous analysis of all environmental consequences of using a product. The Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) program developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, for example, attempts to measure "the environmental performance of building products by using the life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach specified in ISO 14000 standards. All stages in the life of a product are analyzed: raw material acquisition, manufacture, transportation, installation, use, and recycling and waste management."

While industry standards for evaluating ceilings are still being developed, perforated ceilings are expected to have a favorable LCA due to the material, energy, and service life factors discussed above.

Optimized Acoustical Performance: It has been said that the most important factor in greening a building is to provide an environment in which people can perform at their optimum level. The California Department of General Services, for example, has found that personnel salary and benefits account for 89 percent of the operational cost of an office building, and any gain in occupant productivity translates into enhanced building sustainability. The widespread dissatisfaction with the acoustics in workplaces referred to earlier leads to costly errors in communication and reduced productivity due to distractions.