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Asphalt Roof and Recycling

Asphalt recycling is a huge industry in the United States. Each year an estimated 11 million tons of asphalt shingles are produced and disposed of in the United States, according to the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). That does not account for the tons of asphalt used in roadway projects, parking lots and driveways across America.

  1. Asphalt Roofing Materials

    • Asphalt roof shingles cover two-thirds of U.S. residential roofs, reports NERC. Asphalt is often combined with fiberglass, cellulose, sand-size ceramic-coated natural rock, limestone, dolomite and silica to form asphalt shingles. These are the same materials found in asphalt roadway surfaces as well. Asphalt shingles are often recycled and converted into many useful asphalt products.

    Asphalt Roof Shingle Recycling

    • Asphalt is refined from petroleum and easily recycled for future use. Asphalt roof shingles containing asbestos, a prevalent shingle additive in the 1960s and 70s, are not recyclable in the United States, states NERC. Asphalt shingles are separated from non-shingle materials, such as roofing nails, and then ground into chunks for melting and reuse.

    Asphalts Roof Shingles in the Waste Stream

    • Each year in the United States, 10 million tons of asphalt scrap are generated from construction tear-offs and 1 million tons are generated at shingle manufacturing plants, according to the NERC. Roof shingle waste is an estimated 8 percent of total building-related wastes generated annually in the United States. Shingles make up 1 to 10 percent of the annual U.S. construction and demolition debris disposed of every year.

    Uses for Recycled Asphalt Roof Shingles

    • ShingleRecycling.org reports that recycled shingles are used in several potential markets. Hot mix asphalt road paving and cold patch road repair asphalt are both readily made with recycled asphalt roof shingle content. Road base aggregates, temporary roads, driveways and rural road dust control are all uses of recycled shingles.

    Shingles into Shingles

    • Shingles, unlike most recycled plastics, are readily recycled into the same product. Many recycled products are degraded during recycling processes and are not readily utilized for the manufacture of a similar product. Asphalt roof shingles are ably turned into more asphalt roof shingles, according to ShingleRecycling.org. New shingles can contain up to 20 percent recycled shingle content.

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