Do your part by avoiding the landfill during your roofing project
Getting a new roof is exciting. But knowing millions of tons of recyclable shingles pile up in landfills? Not so much. The unfortunate truth is that this is exactly what happens each year. In fact, shingles account for a sizable percentage of all building-related waste. The good news is that in many U.S. states, asphalt shingles make the list of types of roofing shingles that you can recycle. Here's what you need to know about recycling your roof’s old asphalt shingles.
Yes, asphalt shingles are recyclable, so just about all of the old roofing material that comes off of your home can go to a recycling facility instead of a landfill. Asphalt is also reusable, so recycling your roof shingles could end up reducing emissions, labor costs, and the need for mining new materials for asphalt roads for decades to come.
The recyclability of asphalt depends on where you live. Most homeowners should have recycling centers near them that will accept old roof shingles, but you’ll need to confirm that there’s one in your area.
Recycling aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper has a positive impact on the environment—the same is true for asphalt shingles. There are a few key benefits to recycling old asphalt roof shingles:
Reduces CO2 emissions. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), asphalt recycling is responsible for preventing about 2.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every single year.
Reduces the dependency on fossil fuels. Asphalt binder, used in most asphalt applications, requires refining crude oil for production. Recycling facilities can recover some of the binder during recycling, cutting down on the demand for oil drilling.
Helps keep landfills clear. Landfills are filling up with debris that will take decades and even centuries to break down. Asphalt shingles would take around 300 years to break down naturally, so recycling helps prevent landfills from filling up unnecessarily.
If you’re planning a roofing project, it’s a good idea to have sustainability in mind from the start. The easiest way to do your part for the environment while replacing your roof is to find a roofing contractor that will rip off your old roof and recycle the material for you. This requires no extra work on your part, and in most cases, you won’t have to pay more for the service than you would if you were having the contractor take the shingles to a landfill.
If you’re doing your own roofing project, or you’re unable to find a contractor that will recycle the old shingles for you, the best option is to rent a dumpster from a company that will bring the materials to a recycling facility. Just be sure everything you put in your dumpster is recyclable. You can also consider hiring a local junk removal service to pick them up after your project is complete. Just make sure to confirm that they’ll deliver them to a recycling facility and not to a landfill.
If you only have a small amount of shingles from replacing a small section of roof, or you have leftovers that you can’t return, you can haul them to a recycling facility yourself. You can use a resource like ShingleRecycling.org to find shingle recycling services by state.
Roofing shingles that are recycled are repurposed into hot asphalt that's used to pave roads and fill cracks. Using existing asphalt materials for roads helps cut down on landfill waste while also reducing the need to produce asphalt from scratch to keep up with the demand for paving in the U.S. According to Earth911, the shingles from just one average-sized home can pave about 200 feet of a two-lane highway.
A recycling facility can also recapture much of the asphalt binder in your shingles, which can also serve to cut down on raw materials necessary for paving and patching roads.
When vetting roofers near you, ask them if your state allows shingle recycling. If so, ask the pro if they participate in a shingle recycling program. Asphalt shingle recycling is possible even if you're only repairing part of your roof. Just be sure to ask roof repair companies near you if they can recycle any shingles that are removed during the repair process.
If they can’t, you can often find a local dumpster company or junk hauling service that will pick up the debris after the project is complete and deliver it to the appropriate facility. Most roofing contractors dictate that the roofer is responsible for clean up after the construction project is complete. Just be sure to have your contractor change that language if you’re planning on renting a dumpster, and make sure they don’t charge you for a haul-away service.
"Before starting any construction, demolition, or removal project, it's crucial to clarify responsibilities for cleanup with all parties involved. This includes discussing cleanup expectations, determining who will be responsible for debris removal, and establishing a timeline for cleanup activities."
— Sean Foley, President of redbox+ Dumpsters
Keep the cycle going by picking a recyclable roofing option for your roof replacement. When choosing a material for your new roof, don't forget to weigh environmental factors when covering the pros and cons of asphalt shingle roofing. Asphalt is recyclable, and it also happens to be one of the best choices for roofing materials on a budget. You can also consider solar shingles or solar roof panels if you want an eco-friendly power source that helps you save on energy costs.
Asphalt shingles will give you between 15 and 30 years of useful life before they start to deteriorate and require replacement. The type of asphalt shingle you choose will often dictate the life span. Simple 3-tab shingles have the shortest life span and may only last for 10 to 15 years. Architectural shingles last 20 to 25 years, on average, and luxury or designer shingles can last for 40 years or more.
If your roof was constructed between 1930 and 1970, there’s a possibility that the shingles contain asbestos. If that’s the case, you should hire a professional for repairs and replacement, as they’ll have the necessary equipment to stay safe from such a hazardous and cancer-causing substance. If your home was constructed after this period, it’s unlikely that the shingles in place are toxic. In most cases, asbestos shingles are not recyclable, while standard asphalt shingles are recyclable.
Almost any type of shingle can be recycled. That includes options made from organic substances like stone, clay, and metal, which recycling facilities will typically grind down or melt before repurposing them into other objects—or even brand-new shingles. Recycling facilities will often even accept rubber and concrete shingles and recycle them to create new roofing and construction materials.
