How Roofing Companies Recycle Asphalt Shingles And Ways You Can Help…
Did you know that it is possible to recycle asphalt shingles instead of having them sent to a landfill? Most people know that old roofing materials tend to end up at the dump, and will subsequently be sent to the nearest major landfill for disposal. Instead of doing this, many enterprising individuals decided to create a recycling service where the asphalt can be recycled instead of simply buried.
So today, let’s discuss how this works, and also how you, as a consumer or business owner, can help in recycling asphalt shingles to save money and help protect the environment.
How Are Asphalt Shingles Recycled?
Although there could be many other uses for this material, the most popular solution is to chip up the asphalt shingles to be used in building roads. Every time that a road is made, asphalt and aggregate material is mixed together so that the road can be created. Instead of getting new asphalt and aggregate, asphalt shingles can be used in their place.
The process of recycling this material begins with taking the entire old roof down. It is typically deposited into some type of rolloff container. It can also be transferred using dump trailers if people prefer. This is the easiest way to do this because most roofs consist of about 4 tons of material. In addition to the asphalt shingles, there will also be nails. You do not have to separate these out. Large magnets are used to extract the nails, and those are also recycle, and none of this will end up in a landfill.
Good GREAT For The Environment
The reason that it is a good idea to not put asphalt in the ground is that it’s never going to decompose. This is true for the asphalt shingles, and also the nails, and that’s why this recycling process has so much promise. Roads are being built all over the nation, and they are always looking for asphalt that must be used. Instead of purchasing asphalt, they can save money by using this recycled material which is just as good and can help them complete the process of creating the roads.
Finding A Recycling Center That Takes Asphalt Shingles
Although these particular recycling centers are not standard throughout the nation, there should be one in close proximity to your location. You will have to search for these companies that are participating in this recycling process. Some websites like Shingle Recycling and Earth 911 will have more information on this topic.
Will This Cost You Any Money?
Whether you take your asphalt shingles to the dump, or if you have them recycle, it’s going to cost you money either way. The contractor may actually include this fee in the estimate that they give you, so the money is going to be spent regardless of where it goes. In most cases, it will cost you just as much, perhaps even less, to recycle the material instead. By doing this, you are potentially saving money, and most certainly helping to preserve our environment, by not sending this material directly to a landfill.
Once you have decided to take off your old roof, and put on a new one, the asphalt shingles that you may have are going to be buried in a landfill. Instead of allowing this to happen, you should do a little research ahead of time to find a place where you can take the asphalt shingles. As mentioned before, these companies will extract all of the nails, and that material will also be recycled into new products. It is the right thing to do, and you can do your part by making sure that the contractor doing your roof takes your old asphalt shingles to the nearest recycling center.
