Recycling of asphalt has become increasingly more common. Roofing experts in Milledgeville are seeing this to be a more environmentally friendly, cutting down on product waste, and it can also be cheaper to produce. Here are a few goals of using recycled asphalt shingles:
· 50 percent waste diversion
· Increased disposal standards- increased environmental protection, increased disposal costs, and increased diversion
· Regional Cooperation- to reduce costs of recycling asphalt shingles, to take advantage of economies of scale
· Economic Opportunities- value added products from asphalt shingles
So why use recycled shingles?
There are many economic benefits of using asphalt shingles. Cost savings per ton of g HMA ranges from $2.15 to $3.30 . Tipping fees and handling costs vary . And actual savings are more likely to be $1.25 to $1.85 per ton.
So how are the recycled shingles actually produced? Up to five percent of manufactured waste of three percent post consumer use can actually be used in lieu of the typical asphalt material aggregate. Asphalt shingles are included in the total amount of recycled materials allowed. Asphalt shingles may also contain a minimum of three percent deleterious material. By recycling asphalt shingles, we can reduce the amount of the filler materials and toxins we are producing and incorporating into the new products. Most people do not know that there is a maximum one and a half percent of wood materials that can be allowed to be used in asphalt shingles. But shingles containing asbestos shall be handled in accordance with the applicable regulations. This ensures that any recycled materials will not be contaminated with the toxin.
Many people do not know that asphalt roofing shingles are one of the major components of debris generated from construction projects. They are the most common roofing material, especially in residential uses and they account for more that sixty percent of all roofing materials. Either we have a lot of residential properties or asphalt shingles are just very popular. Approximately 11 million tons of asphalt shingle waste is generated in the USA and most of it goes to landfills.
When you transport shingles from a construction project, the shingles are usually thrown on the bottom of the trailer and wood scraps are tossed on top of the shingles, along with other debris. This can make it very challenging to recycle those asphalt shingles because they are so contaminated with other debris. Because of this, many recycling plants have had to employ extra people to sift through the recycled asphalt by hand. This ensures that the only materials being reprocessed are the asphalt itself.
An extra benefit of recycling asphalt shingles is that is can also be recycled for use in asphalt roads. Asphalt is asphalt and any way that it can be reused it good for the environment. The rising costs of oil make the idea of reusing asphalt shingles for roads even more appealing because of their cost saving properties, and this reduces the cost of road asphalt to nearly one dollar per pound cheaper that brand new asphalt. If you are paving large roads, this discount can add up quickly.