According to experts, asphalt shingles make up two-thirds of the roofing market for both new homes and roof replacements. Thousands of asphalt shingle roofs are installed everyday on new and existing roofs across the country. Many people throw the old shingles and scraps in trailers, dumpsters-anywhere they can. Many companies have considered shingle recycling as another benefit to using shingles such as cost, ease of installation and versatility. Rising consciousness of green alternatives has given way to the recycled shinglesboom. These recycled shingles or tear offs, are used primarily in Hot-Mix Asphalt. Shingle recycling is also used in cold climates to make mix for cold patches for quick and economical repairs.
Each year up to 10 million tons of shingles are removed from roofs across the country, if you choose a roofing contractor who recycles, just think, you may be helping pave a road with these recycled shingles! If you are a contractor just thing of the positive exposure your company will receive as word spreads that you are contributing to the green cause.
When you consider your contractor, consider a company that uses the old tear off shingles and uses a recycling company that will recycle the shingles. If you find out that your contractor is just dumping the tear off shingles in a dumpster encourage the company to consider the green method by suggesting a shingle recycling plant in your area. If you are a contractor, shingle-recycling plants have made it even easier to recycled shingles. Many companies offer roll off container rentals. These containers are the perfect way to get all the savings of construction and demolition recycling without having to leave the job site. This can save contractors time and money while contributing to the green cause. The company delivers the dumpster to the job site, you fill them with tear of shingles and other recyclable material that is accepted and afterward the recycling company comes back and hauls off the roll off dumpster and takes it back to their facilities.
One caveat pertains to weather conditions. Because pavements specs vary from state to state as does weather conditions, state departments of transportation have been testing the effects of adding recycled shingles from tear offs for pavement performance in varying types of weather. There has to be just the right mix of shingle material for the best quality performance and longevity of a paved road.
The average fee a recyclers must charge to cover processing fees is at least $30 per ton. Green experts say that the differential between the charge of the recycling facility and the landfill tip fee must be large enough to provide an "economic incentive" to generators to change their attitude and practice of landfill disposal.
