Recycling Roofing
• Martin Grohman, LEED®AP
• Director of Sustainability,
GAF
• mgrohman@gaf.com
Slide 1
Why Recycle Roofing?
• Increase Profits/Reduce Disposal Costs
• Improved Marketing
• Better for Environment
2
The Building Life Cycle
Manufacturing
Recycling
Construction
Demolition
Use/Occupancy
Repair/Improve
3
Relative Importance of Green Building
Practices to Property Owners
Energy Efficiency
Construction Waste Management
Re-Using Existing Structures
Green Site Planning/Devlpmt
Water Use Reduction
Use of Low-Emitting Materials
0
20
2009
2014
40
60
80
100
Source: McGraw Hill Construction
4
Asphalt Shingle Recycling
• Asphalt is America’s most
recycled material
• 92% of America’s roads
are asphalt*
• More and more roofs are
recycled into roads every
day
*Source: National Asphalt Paving Association
Slide 5
Shingles can improve pavement properties…
• Four Times the
Asphalt Content
• High grade
aggregate
• Fibers
• Limestone
Slide 6
Source: Construction Materials Recycling Association
Shingle Recycling Locations - Nationwide
7
VISIT WWW.SHINGLERECYCLING.ORG TO
FIND RECYCLERS
Tear-Off For Recycling
• Tear off the roof normally
• Keep shingles separate from
wood, metal, jobsite scrap
• Nails and felt are OK
• Separate out large quantities of
caulk and mastic (more likely to
contain asbestos)
• The goal is to get the shingles,
felt and nails into a separate
pile or container, with a
minimum of extra effort
• Wood is the worst contaminant
8
– Hard to separate, and bad for
pavement
Nails Removed by Powerful Magnets!
SHINGLE GRINDER
9
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
Don’t:
Shingles, Felt and Nails only – Don’t Mix in Other Materials
10
At the Collection Yard
Flashings are also
recycled
11
Feeding the Grinder
Ask for Documentation
12
MAKING A DIFFERENCE BY
RECYCLING
Average Roof of 30-35 squares
3.5 tons or 7000 lbs of roofing


5 cubic yards of landfill
space
The equivalent of more
than one year of a typical
family’s trash
Instead, used at 5%,
this could help pave
over 50 feet of typical
road!
13
13
Source of trash data: DOE
Source of Road Data: NAPA
Challenges in Shingle Recycling
• At one time, some
roofing and caulk
contained asbestos
• This is much more likely
on the older or multilayer tear-offs
• You may need to sign a
delivery certification form
• Testing is available for
large jobs – approx cost
= $25
Slide 14
Commercial Roofing Recycling
•
•
•
•
15
EPDM Rubber Membrane
TPO Membrane
PVC Membrane
Asphaltic*
*available in certain markets
15
Recycling Companies
www.wycoenvironmental.com
16
Ground TPO, EPDM
17
Rigid Foam Insulation Boards
• Expanded Polystyrene Beadboard Insulation
• Extruded Polystyrene
Insulation
• Polyisocyanurate Foam
Insulation
• Composite Foam
Insulation
with adhered concrete or
fiberboard
18
Ballast is easily recycled
•
•
•
•
19
River Rock
Slate
Concrete Pavers
Rubber Pavers
Cover boards
• Gypsum board cutoffs
• Complete boards or
broken parts
• Gypsum ceilings,
floors, walls etc.
• Nails and screws are
allowed
• Wallpaper, glass
tissue and other wall
coverings on the
boards are allowed
20
Information Needed by the Recycler
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
21
Timing
# Squares
Membrane Type
Membrane Thickness
Method of Attachmen
Insulation Type
Insulation Thickness
Ballast, if any
Other details
Economies of Scale
• Full Trucks=Better Pricing
– 3”Insulation: 140sq/truck
– Membrane: 400sq/truck
• Combining materials on a
load is possible
– But may affect pricing
22
*these numbers are approximate
and will vary by job
Making a difference by recycling
• By Recycling an
Average Roof of 240
Squares, you can divert:
– Approx. 4000 cubic feet of
insulation
– Approx. 6000 pounds of
membrane
• This amount of material
would fill three average
swimming pools
23
Source: Nationwide Foam
Recycling and LEED
50% Recycling = +1 Point
75% Recycling = +1 Point
Calculations are by Weight
Innovation = +1 Point
24
 For 95%+ Recycling Rate
 Allowable to return/reuse
materials on the job
 Donate to Habitat for Humanity,
etc.
Additional Resources:
•
•
•
•
•
•
25
Planet Reuse
Design For Reuse.org
West Development Group
www.shinglerecycling.org
Designforreuse.org
Earth911.com