NERC in the News

Recycling Asphalt Shingles a Boon for Minnesota C&D Recycler

Asphalt Contractor, March 28, 2011

The Northeast Recycling Council estimates that more than 11 million tons of asphalt shingles are scrapped in the U.S. each year; 10 million from installation tear-offs and re-roofing jobs and another one million discarded as waste by asphalt shingle manufacturers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that shingle waste makes up eight percent of the total building-related waste stream and one to 10 percent of annual construction and demolition debris, representing a tremendous burden to landfills across the country.

Due to their material composition (asphalt versus wood, metal and other construction materials), shingles are usually separated from other construction-related waste debris, making the discarded roof protectors a prime candidate for the recycling stream.

Recycling facilities have responded, and new technology has created some money-saving opportunities for recycled shingle markets - most notably as an additive to asphalt paving preparations. Using hot mix asphalt with only 5 percent recycled shingle material can save $1 to nearly $3 per ton of hot mix asphalt (HMA), as well as improve the quality of HMA used in paving.

[The remainder of the article profiles a shingle processing business in Minnesota.]