Owens Corning Launches Shingle Recycling Program

Owens Corning will be providing a new program that makes it easier for contractors to recycle asphalt shingles for its preferred roofing contractors. The program will be conducted through its Roofing business.
The company claims that it is the first roofing manufacturer to connect contractors with convenient recycling facilities through a national strategic alliance.

The decision to roll out a nationwide program follows a pilot program conducted in Indiana. The program will begin in the Midwest. As part of the program, contractors pledge to recycle their shingle tear-offs.

"While the technology exists to recycle asphalt shingles, we are making it efficient and cost-effective for our contractors," said Sheree Bargabos, president of Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC. "This program makes recycling easy, and provides our contractor network with an opportunity to clearly differentiate themselves by providing a complete roofing system including a sustainable end-of-life recycling option for old shingles."

Owens Corning is working with Heritage Environmental Services, the largest privately-held environmental services company in the United States. Heritage will provide dedicated, convenient drop-off centers that will recycle and process shingle tear-offs.

"Millions of tons of asphalt roofing shingles are sent to landfills every year, wasting valuable resources such as asphalt and aggregate," said Bill McDaniel, president and CEO, Heritage Environmental Services LLC. "With the combined efforts of Heritage and Owens Corning, material that would have been wasted will now be reused and made into roads."

"At Owens Corning, we are constantly seeking solutions that carry economic, environmental and social benefits. This new program is the perfect example of carefully considered product life-cycle management, from conception of design and manufacture to durable service and end-of-life recycling," said Owens Corning Chief Sustainability Officer, Frank O'Brien-Bernini. "We are proud to be the first roofing manufacturer to help create an infrastructure to increase shingle recycling and material reuse across the country."