Recycled Roofs Saves Taxpayers Billions

Asphalt shingles are by far America’s favorite residential roofing product, with a market share of around 90%. Because millions of households and thousands of businesses in the US have asphalt shingles, and because asphalt shingles have a relatively short lifespan compared to more expensive materials (around 15 years), a tremendous amount of waste is created from roofs that are removed. Each year in the US, approximately 11 million tons of asphalt shingles are removed from homes and commercial buildings. The majority of that waste ends up in landfills and has a huge negative impact on the environment. Fortunately, asphalt shingles are recyclable and environmentalists are urging roofing companies to participate in recycling programs for asphalt shingles which pays them for every truckload they drop off. Not only does this benefit the environment, it helps out taxpayers as well.

What is recycled asphalt shingles used for

Recycled asphalt can be used for a number of different products but it’s primary use is asphalt roadways. When a roofing company drops of a truck load of removed asphalt roofing shingles, workers at the recycling center will first have to dig through it by hand removing any roofing nails or other non-asphalt shingle debris. The asphalt shingles are then ground up to a consistency between pea gravel and coffee grounds. These ground up shingles are then added to the pavement mix to form the asphalt pavement that is heated and poured on roadways around the US.

The current state of asphalt shingle recycling

The percentage of old asphalt shingle roofs that are recycled instead of dumped is on the rise. In 2015, more than two million of the 11 million tons of asphalt shingle waste was recycled saving US taxpayers billions. As more roofers participate in recycling programs, it’s hoped that the percentage will approach 100%. With close to 11 millions tons of recycled shingles, that would drastically reduce the cost of repaving roadways and it would reduce the burden placed on landfills. If you need to replace your asphalt shingle roof, ask if your Spokane roofing company recycles.

Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com

Source:mywabashvalley.com/news/angies-list-recycling-roofing-shingles/762956320