Ohio capital receives grant to boost asphalt shingle recycling

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the city of Columbus, Ohio, a $156,775 grant to help it recycle 3,500 tons of asphalt shingles into pavement that will be used to resurface city streets. The grant will be used to help the state’s capital pay for the recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), which will be added to the hot asphalt mix used to repave about 112 roads throughout Columbus.

The Ohio EPA says the city has not previously used RAS as part of the road surface mix.

 

The grant money will help Columbus to evaluate the effectiveness of adding residential recycled shingles on a variety of road types. The grant money also will help Columbus determine whether the material is a good addition to the mixture the city uses to repair its roadways.

While currently it is more expensive to blend the RAS with the asphalt, the Ohio EPA says it expects the RAS/asphalt blend will become less expensive in the future. The grant will cover the additional amount spent during the 2015 study phase.

If the RAS asphalt mix reduces rutting and cracking, and Columbus adopts it as a permanent asphalt mix for additional areas, the city estimates it could divert 6,304 tons of roofing shingles from landfills each year.