Can You Recycle Asphalt Shingles? What to Do With Old Shingles
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 are included on the list of types of roofing shingles that can be recycled. Here's what you need to know about recycling your roof’s old asphalt shingles.
Can Asphalt Shingles Be Recycled?
Yes, asphalt shingles are recyclable, so nearly all the old roofing material that comes off your home can go to a recycling facility instead of a landfill. Asphalt is also reusable, so recycling your roof shingles could ultimately reduce emissions, labor costs, and the need for mining new materials for asphalt roads for decades to come.
The recyclability of asphalt varies depending on your location. 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.
Benefits of Recycling Asphalt Shingles
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, is produced by refining crude oil. 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, or 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.
How to Recycle Your Asphalt Shingles
If you’re planning a roofing project, consider sustainability from the start. Here are the top ways to recycle your asphalt shingles for future roofing or road construction projects.
Hire a roofing contractor who will remove your old roof and recycle the materials for you. 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.
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.
Hire a local junk removal service to pick up the asphalt shingles. Ensure they’ll deliver them to a recycling facility, not a landfill.
Haul the shingles to a recycling facility yourself. Use a resource like ShingleRecycling.org to find shingle recycling services by state.
What Happens to Your Recycled Asphalt Roof Shingles?
Roofing shingles that are recycled are repurposed into hot asphalt, which is used to pave roads and fill cracks. Using existing asphalt materials for roads helps reduce landfill waste while also reducing the need to produce asphalt from scratch to meet 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, thereby reducing the need for raw materials necessary for paving and patching roads.
How Much Does Waste Removal Cost?
On average, junk removal costs $140 to $380, depending on the type of debris you’re getting rid of. Construction debris, including asphalt shingles, costs $100 to $800 to remove. Alternatively, you or your roofing contractor can rent a dumpster to dispose of the debris from your roofing project. The cost to rent a dumpster ranges from $300 to $480 per week.
How to Find Contractors to Help You Recycle Your Shingles
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. 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 cleaning 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.
Explore Other Eco-Friendly Replacement Roofing Options
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 considering 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 deteriorate and require replacement. The type of asphalt shingle you choose will often dictate the lifespan. Simple 3-tab shingles have the shortest lifespan and may only last 10 to 15 years. Architectural shingles last 20 to 25 years, and luxury or designer shingles last 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.
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