Benefits of Recycling Your Asphalt Shingles
By Stacy MelleteCleaning up is the least talked-about part of re-roofing. After all, a whole roof’s worth of old shingles is removed and has to be disposed of.
There’s a good chance your roofing contractor in Clearwater FL, offers waste disposal as part of the contract, but in some cases you have to pay extra (or hire someone else) just to dispose of the discarded shingles.
A great alternative, however, is to have your shingles recycled and save money in the process.
How It Works
Discarded asphalt shingles from re-roofing and roof repairs in Tampa, FL, still contain a lot of asphalt in them. The asphalt is separated from other components — nails, wood, paper — and then grounded down and converted into paving material. Tomorrow’s roads are literally made from discarded roofing.
The disposal process is simple: go to shinglerecycling.org and find a shingle recycler near you. You can then arrange transportation of the shingles to the recycler. Some recyclers offer free pick up services, but even without this, it’s still much cheaper compared to having the shingles delivered to the dumpsite.
Benefits
Savings on the disposal cost aside, shingle recycling has several benefits, such as:
- Asphalt is not only the most recycled and reused material in North America since 1993, but it is also being reused and recycled at a rate of over 99%.
- When you choose to re-roof with asphalt shingles, you’re helping the environment by using more recycled content.
- Substantial landfill space is saved when you and your local roofing company in Clearwater FL, choose to recycle.
- Recycled asphalt reduces the demand for new asphalt and aggregate, which reduces the need for new oil, which in turn means less manufacturing byproducts and waste.
- Recycling creates new jobs at recycling plants.
Be Involved
When you choose to use asphalt shingles for your roof, you help lower the impact of new shingle manufacturing on the environment. Asphalt can be recycled many times, so the cycle doesn’t stop when asphalt is used on roads. You also help reduce the dependency on foreign oil, which is asphalt’s main ingredient.
For more about asphalt roofs and the benefits of recycling them, call Affordable Roofing Systems at (813) 542-8462 or fill out our contact form.