3 Reasons to Recycle Concrete and Asphalt Shingles
Recycling has not always been popular in the roofing industry. However, today it is increasingly popular as an economically-wise and eco-friendly way to reuse and dispose of materials from asphalt and concrete shingled roofs. In the past, the roofing industry's eco-friendly practice meant overlaying the existing roof with a new layer of shingles, but this practice only slowed the inevitable need for disposal. Today many roofing professionals recycle their shingles for reuse instead of disposing of them in much-needed landfill space. In addition, recycled roofing shingles can be used for pavement improvement.
An average roof weighs between 3 and 4 tons. That is a lot of materials to dispose of. Recycling shingles allows homeowners, business owners, and roofing contractors to feel better about the disposal process. Our experts on new asphalt installs in Park Falls, WI, offer these reasons to recycle asphalt and concrete shingles:
It is cost-effective and convenient.
Asphalt recycling is usually less expensive than disposal, depending on local municipal and landfill fees. There is an increased demand for these materials due to roadway maintenance and construction. Shingle recycling is offered in most US metro areas. In addition, many asphalt companies offer easily accessible recycling services that roofers can use. You typically do not have to separate nails, roofing felt, and shingles, no matter what recycling option you choose. This makes it very convenient for roofing companies and DIY roofers.
It is an environmentally-friendly practice.
In the late 1990s, the EPA determined that asphalt shingles were a significant source of construction debris taking up space in American landfills. It is estimated that Americans produce around 11 million tons of waste in asphalt shingles alone annually. However, you can recycle most of this waste for use in products like hot mix asphalt used in roadway construction. In addition, studies show that the energy used to dispose of asphalt shingles in landfills and the power associated with producing virgin asphalt materials exceeds the energy required for recycling the shingles. This means it is environmentally friendly to recycle the shingles instead of disposing of them.
Though concrete shingles make up a much smaller percentage of roofing materials, they also take up too much landfill space. In addition, when these shingles are crushed into a material that resembles gravel, it also limits the resources that need to be mined for roads and other construction undertakings.
It can produce helpful products.
Aside from lowering the manufacturing cost of making hot-mix asphalt, recycled asphalt shingles offer numerous economical uses, including:
- Ingredients in porous asphalt that lets water soak into the ground
- New shingle additives
- Roadway base aggregate
- Cold patching for repairing potholes
Crushed concrete shingles are an excellent aggregate source for concrete or asphalt pavement because they can be easily compacted for use under paving stones along walkways and stone driveways.
Recycling asphalt and concrete shingles allow roofing contractors and professionals to follow sustainable practices in the roofing industry. It also helps ease the worries of consumers who care about the environment. Contact us today to learn more about new asphalt installs in Park Falls, WI. We want to be your paving service!