An extensive program covering all aspects of the shingle recycling industry was developed by the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association’s Shingle Recycling Committee for their 6th Shingle Recycling Forum, held November 7 to 8 at the Westin Downtown in Denver.
“The Shingle Recycling Forum’s growth has mirrored that of the shingle recycling industry,” stated Jason Haus, CEO of Dem-Con and chair of the CDRA Shingle Recycling Committee.
More than 350 attendees attended at the Shingle Recycling Forum, which included a local facility tour, multiple sessions, and an exhibition area that featured information on equipment and supplies for the recycling of asphalt shingles. www.shinglerecycling.org
Asphalt Shingle Recycling 101 - from GAF (www.gaf.com)
According to the National Asphalt Paving Association, asphalt is America’s most recycled material. A large percentage of America’s roofs and 92% of America’s roads are asphalt, resulting in the two industries make great recycling partners for each other. If you’ve ever seen a pavement re-claimer at work (probably while stuck in traffic and late for an appointment), you have seen that the re-paving process is not unlike the way you remove and replace a roof. The top layer of pavement is removed, ground, and reclaimed. With the sub-base left in place, a new top layer, consisting of the material that was removed plus some amendments - often including some recycled asphalt shingles - is added.
There’s more asphalt in a shingle than there is in a road. Shingles may be up to 20-25% asphalt by weight, while asphalt pavement is approximately 6%. Plus, the aggregate and fibers in a shingle are generally of high quality, and the limestone creates natural moisture resistance.
All in all, according to the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) (formerly the Construction Materials Recycling Association) in many cases adding a small percentage of reground shingles can improve the properties of hot mix pavement.
For contractors, tearing off the old roofing for a ‘green’ job is about the same as any other tear-off, with a few minor differences. The first is that the recycler will want a 'clean' or pre-sorted load, and a clean load is defined as only shingles, felt, and nails – no rotted boards from the roof, no flashing and drip edges, no pallets and plastic from the shingle delivery, no lunch wrappers, and so forth.
Nails are OK, and in most states felt or other asphaltic underlayment is OK (and with many recycling partners you can even put the other jobsite debris top of the load) but it must be easy to get the materials separated for recycling, or else the load will not be recycled. (A handout or written instructions will often be available from the recycler).
The goal is to get the shingles into a separate pile or container and ready for the grinder with the minimum of extra effort. And doing that pre-sorting can often save you money, because you’re making it easier for the recycler. Many times the cleaner the load the lower the disposal cost, because you are making it easier for the recycler. And they can probably also recycle wood and cardboard, or can handle its disposal for you. Just be sure to call in advance and ask what their requirements are.
If you’re a contractor that wants to recycle but don’t know where to go, GAF, one of North America's largest roofing manufacturers, has developed a new web-app to help you locate the nearest shingle recycling facility. www.recycling.gaf.com
GAF also offers training for professional roofing contractors in recycling, and we are pleased to announce that we now have over 350 professional roofing contractors who have qualified as members of the Certified Green Roofer™ Program. Developed with partners like the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the CDRA, and launched in 2010, this is a rigorous program for Factory-Certified Contractors to learn many aspects of sustainability and apply them to their businesses.
As a condition of membership, Certified Green Roofers commit to recycling shingles if they live in a state where recycling is available, and to join their local chapter of the USGBC.
Additionally, the Certified Green Roofer Program has paid more than $60,000 in GAF Buck incentive dollars to contractors for recycling. To the best of our knowledge, it is the only such program to provide financial incentives to roofing contractors for recycling.
So, to sum up, recycling takes only slightly more work on the jobsite, essentially some minor separation of materials on the ground. The shingle recycler wants shingles, felt and nails only – no other trash, and especially no rotted wood. Also, recycling generally doesn’t cost any more. In fact, in many cases, recycling is slightly cheaper in per ton dumping costs. That savings is probably offset when the small amount of extra labor to separate materials is considered, but there are also other benefits to recycling, such as branding opportunities, and the incentive or point payments mentioned above.
The most common Frequently Asked Questions about shingle recycling:
What about nails?
You don’t have to separate out nails – they are separated by powerful magnets on the shingle grinder, and get recycled too!
Is every shingle recycler listed on ShingleRecycling.org?
No! If you know of a location that isn’t listed, please let us know!
(email [email protected])
How do I separate out materials?
It’s like laundry – separate darks and lights. Shingles, felt and nails only… put a lumber wrap or tarp over that… then put other jobsite debris like valley tin, cardboard & wood on;, so it’s all easy to separate, and these other items can be recycled too.
What do they make recycled shingles into?
The #1 use of recycled shingles is to make roads! Ground up shingles are typically added at 5% to pavement and in many cases can actually improve the quality, or reduce the cost of, asphalt pavement.
What if I can’t find a recycler nearby?
Don’t give up! Send an email to [email protected] or [email protected]. Or visit www.gaf.com.
How much does recycling cost?
It varies. Almost always cheaper than landfilling, especially if you separate ‘clean loads’ as detailed above.
How much does a typical roof weigh?
Most roofs weigh 3-4 tons.
I don’t want a roll-off can in my yard.
Will recyclers work with dump trailers? Most recyclers are pretty flexible – give them a call. And recycling yards are usually cleaner than typical demolition yards, so you’ll get fewer flat tires.
Visit www.gaf.com.
