Shingle Recycling Web Site Debuts

The Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), Lisle, Ill., the National Roofing Contractors Association, Rosemont, Ill., and the U.S. EPA are now operating a Web site that provides visitors with up-to-date information on asphalt shingle recycling.

The site, at www.shinglerecycling.org, includes information on shingle processing techniques and end markets, data on shingle composition and contaminants, and contact information for state officials who have local and regional information.

“More than 11 million tons of waste asphalt shingles are generated in the U.S. every year, and this Web site will provide the information needed to answer the questions surrounding the processing and re-use of this resource,” says Paul Ruesch, an environmental engineer at the U.S. EPA Region 5 office in Chicago.

Shingles that can be processed and made free of contaminants contain oils and other substances that make them ideal for the asphalt mixing process. “The shingles contain valuable bitumen and a cubical aggregate product that works well in a variety of end products, especially in the paving industry,” says William Turley, executive director of the CMRA. “With this Web page, we hope to support the growing movement toward recycling asphalt shingles.”

The Web page is divided into five sections, including areas on current end markets; links to published literature on the topic; a review of permitting procedures; links to several case studies; and additional links to associations involved in shingle recycling.

The Web site’s organizers say they will continue to update the site as new research is conducted and additional end markets are established. One of the goals, according to Turley, will be to post results of lab tests showing that there should be little concern about the presence of asbestos in old shingles.