Asphalt Paving Blog

3 Reasons to Consider Asphalt Shingle and Concrete Recycling

Posted by J. Mrugacz on Jul 22, 2014

Recycling once was uncommon in the roofing industry. Now it is increasing as an ecofriendly and economically wise method to dispose of and reuse material from old concrete and asphalt-shingled roofs.

Traditionally, the industry's "green practice" involved overlaying an existing roof with another layer of shingles, but this method only delayed the inevitable disposal. These days, many roofing professionals have shingle material ground up for reuse rather than sending it to landfills. This material can be used to improve the quality of roadway pavement.

Raising the Roof on Recycling with Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS)

Posted by J. Mrugacz on Feb 18, 2013

You may already be aware that the asphalt being laid down for new roads and patching older roads is largely made up of recycled material.  In fact, asphalt is one of America’s most recycled materials.  You may also be aware that, in some cases, the recycled material comes from roofing shingles as well as roads. 

Using RAS in Asphalt Mixtures

The use of recycled asphalt shingles, or RAS, has been fairly limited in the past, though, mostly because roofing materials contain a lot of extra material besides the asphalt itself.  For example, roofing shingles may have nails, plastic, fiberboard, paper, cellophane, and wood.  This makes the recycling process much more challenging. 

Additionally, local and state governments have been waiting on additional studies to be done regarding whether asphalt-using RAS is as reliable as asphalt that does not use it. These studies are increasingly showing that asphalt that uses RAS is as reliable and durable as more standard asphalt mixes, provided they are properly mixed.  Therefore, the use of RAS mixtures is on the rise.