How Recycling Tear off Shingles (RAS) Will Lead to Recycling Single ply, BUR and Modified Bitumen

The fairly new and emerging story of recycling asphalt tear shingles (RAS) is one of roofers and others rising to the level of expectations in a specific municipal construction culture. How does this come about? Here is RoofCycle’s short story:

After joining the Boulder Green Building Guild in 2004 I instantly recognized the dominant issue in the residential roofing industry as diverting the huge volume of asphalt tear off shingles from local landfills and finding an end use for this material.

Subsequently, Roofs to Roads Colorado was created with the help of our associates and state and county grant funding. This launch, in 2009, resulted in roofer trainings for proper recycling protocol and shingle delivery to qualified collection points and advisory relationships with the Colorado Department of Transportation, local HMA contractors, municipalities and others.

Shortly after its start in 2009, Roofs to Roads Colorado found allies and like minded roofing contractors in Brickey Construction, Colorado Exteriors, Academy Roofing and others and through this partnership we were able to create an important collection point and training center through Brannan Sand and Gravel in the north Denver metro area.

Well over 100 roofers and haulers are now recycling RAS in the Denver area and this not only benefits their bottom line as recycling costs ½ as much as landfill tipping fees but we are seeing significant landfill diversion and the resulting CO2 reduction when RAS replaces a portion of the virgin binder in the pavement mix. And, roofers engaged in the ‘Best Practice’ of recycling are more often preferred by their customers who want responsible stewardship in their roofing contractors.

Asphalt tear off shingles are the material ‘most likely to be used in recycling’ at this point. Clearly, its value as an oil based product in paving mix designs and the huge volume available make it one of the darlings of the C and D waste recycling industry.

However, there is a fledgling market developing for commercial/industrial roofing materials such as modified bitumen, EPDM, TPO, PVC, tar and gravel and others. As interest and resources have been invested over the last decade for the recycling of asphalt tear off shingles, a momentum for other Best Roofing Practice (BRP) and sustainability has been created and subsequently the basic infrastructure is being developed to recycle these other commercial roofing products.

 National Foam Inc. (NFI) has recently developed a basic recycling program to collect EPDM and other single ply membranes as well as roof insulation from commercial roof demolitions. This recycling effort is one of the first of its type in North America and because of the large volume of commercial roofing C and D waste on this continent  there is much opportunity and need for the creation of greater infrastructure to process these materials as this will be a ‘game changer’ for long term sustainability in the commercial roofing industry.

To that end, RoofCycle is partnering with associates in Denver, Colorado to develop a drop off center for commercial roofing materials. At this time the start up for this pilot collection center is dependent on projected state grant funding and other sources to be determined.

Recently, the City of Denver partnered with NFI for the recycling of ballasted EPDM on several City specific projects which had LEED requirements for recycling such material.

 We believe that the recycling of commercial roofing materials, as is evident in the tear shingle recycling initiative, will provide significant cost savings for roofing contractors as they recycle instead of dumping this material. And we will see reduced landfill use and the corresponding reduction in GHGs as these materials are used instead of virgin materials by end users in roof material manufacturing and other industries.

Also, importantly, engagement with local municipalities is a key component in the creation of any roofing material recycling program and the implementation of the other concepts of Best Roofing Practice (BRP). A case in point is the RoofCycle/3R Roofing collaboration with the Boulder County Build Smart Program and the grant support of Boulder County Resource Conservation Division:

To help Boulder County achieve its goals in the Zero Waste Action Plan, in working with Build Smart, RoofCycle has conducted trainings for recycling tear off shingles and BRP at the Boulder County offices over the past year. These trainings are important for creating the cultural shift in handling C and D waste and approaches to BRP that is needed for the ambitious Zero Waste and Co2 reduction goals of Boulder County. 

Well, maybe that was not as short a story as I intended but there are many factors to consider in the newly emerging Best Roofing Practice.

In closing, I encourage you to take a look at Roofpoint: http://roofpoint.wikispaces.com/Roofpoint. This is a guideline created by the Center for Environmentally Innovative Roofing (CEIR) which is an associate arm of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA).

Roofpoint is a similar approach to Leadership in Environmental and Energy Efficient Design (LEED) as it specifically applies to commercial and residential roofing. These guidelines provide numerous specific approaches to sustainable Best Roofing Practice (BRP): among them is the use of reflective roof membranes and coatings (Energy Star and Cool Roof products) and recycling of demolition materials. Look for CEIR to roll out their new guidelines at the upcoming International Roofing Expo in Las Vegas, February 16-18, 2011.

Next RoofCycle blog: Why Coming Federal DOE Grants for Energy Efficiency Upgrades Need Best Roofing Practice (BRP) Guidelines

DOE Grant funding: Sun Sales Means Roof Sales!

Say what?

Well, when our friends, the PV solar electric contractors, make sales, it invariably leads to roofing sales. Most photovoltaic systems are roof mounted and at least 50% of these roof systems need replacement before PV systems can be installed. For those roofers who do not already have solar contractor partners or are not involved doing PV yourselves, I say develop this part of your business – soon!

 Now, if you do any work in Boulder, Denver or Garfield counties – and I would say this applies country wide under any circumstances no matter what kind of funding is available - you have an extra special reason to take interest in PV solar electric and building envelop insulation.

  New Department of Energy (DOE) grant funding is coming to these counties in Colorado for micro loans that will apply to energy efficiency upgrades in the categories of renewable energy (i.e., PV solar electric etc.), insulation upgrades and other categories to be announced. Though material and labor other than roofing related insulation and Energy Star roofing specifically, does not qualify for these micro loans, it is a good bet that these ‘second tier’ upgrades will get traction as the qualifying categories see much upcoming customer demand for ‘related work’.

  So, for roofers who do work in these Colorado counties, get ready for extra demand for your services come 2011. And, also know that your work with PV solar contractors and energy efficiency contractors will help reduce collective consumption of coal and other non-renewable energy at local utilities.

 Finally, it is an extra bonus when you recycle your asphalt tear off shingles at the various Denver metro collection points for recycled tear off shingles (RAS). You will also be doing your part for landfill diversion, CO2 reduction and supporting the birth of a transformative industry that is beginning to use RAS as a substitute for virgin asphalt binder in road paving mix designs.

Up Next: How Recycling Tear off Shingles will Lead to Recycling Single ply, BUR and Modified Bitumen

What to consider in a new roof…

The following questions are essential in your decision process:

1. With all the choices available, what makes the most sense for me? If PV or thermal solar panels is an option, is my roof functional enough to hold the mounting hardware for years to come?
2. Is my home or business comfortable enough in the summer? Winter? Would I like to reduce my energy cost considerably? How much CO2 can I offset by my roofing choices?
3. What is my best choice for roofing material with regard to energy efficiency, resource conservation, and air quality? What is the embodied-energy impact of my roofing decision?
4. If color and appearance are important to me, what choices will reduce heat gain in my home or business? How might I cut the cost of my home/business insurance premium?

Some of the answers are simple and quick; some are not. And roofing choices alone will not address all the considerations. As a green-built roofing contractor, however, I see the reuse of tear-off shingles as imperative to the sustainability of my industry. To that end, 3R Roofing has been working with the Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Asphalt Paver’s Association to gain approval for a Recycled Asphalt Shingle-to-Hot Mix Asphalt use specification. This would “pave” the way for a pilot road project that includes a significant amount of processed tear-off shingles—a more promising end to the life of an asphalt shingle.

Answers

Here are some important basic issues I discovered:

1.  Coal-fired utility plants generate about 70 % of Colorado’s electricity. We cool our homes and buildings primarily with coal, and heat our indoor air and water primarily with natural gas. We Coloradans use about 10% more energy, and therefore more of our money, heating our homes than cooling them. Heat gain and heat loss can be significantly affected by attic ventilation and insulation and roofing choices.
2. Coal and natural gas are non-renewable resources that produce greenhouse gas (CO2). Solar power and wind power are renewable energy resources that produce no CO2. (Xcel is on course to produce 15–20% of Colorado’s electricity with renewable energy in the next 15 years.) Solid, still-functional rooftops are the site of choice for most photovoltaic (PV) and thermal solar systems.
3. Most steel roofing products are made from 35–85% recycled material and are 100% recyclable; and every pound of recycled steel used in manufacturing prevents 1,800 lbs. of CO2. Products with an Energy Star rating provide higher reflectivity and emissivity, for a cooler house, less energy usage, a cost savings, and less CO2.
4. U.S. concrete production, including concrete roofing tiles, causes roughly 8% of all CO2 emissions. Clay tiles have a smaller environmental impact in their manufacturing and can be more durable and attractive. End-use tire rubber, hose, plastics, and carpet are now being used for high-recycled-content roofing products, the installation of which reduce end waste in landfills and curtail the use of high embodied-energy materials. For durability, value, and budget, however, asphalt shingles are preferred for most residential construction. Some asphalt shingles are Energy Star-rated, and lighter colors provide greater cooling benefits than darker ones. Currently, 99% of tear-off asphalt shingles are not recycled in the U.S. (100% go to the landfills in Colorado), though a handful of states use them in their hot mix asphalt for roads. Every pound of tear-off shingles recycled prevents 26 lbs. of CO2.

A Roofer Evolves

By David Coddington

An asphalt shingle begins in an oil field in Kuwait. Consider the resources it takes to supply the consumer with this building material: The energy behind the drill and the fuel to run it. The crew and all the money, food, and peripherals they need to draw the oil from the ground. The energy and infrastructure required to deliver the crude oil to the tanker ships that deliver it across the oceans to a refinery in Houston. The energy to refine gas, diesel, and other petroleum products from the crude oil. The energy to convert the sludge at the bottom of the barrel into asphalt. The fuel to transport the asphalt to various users, such as road pavers and shingle factories. The energy to manufacture the asphalt shingle. The fuel for CO2-burning vehicles to deliver the shingle to roofing material distribution centers throughout the Midwest. The fuel to deliver the shingle to a building or house. The crew and the energy behind the roofing equipment to install the asphalt shingle on the rooftop, where it will live until it is removed and transported to a landfill.

This is the story that is most riveting to me—the story of embodied energy, or the sum total of energy required, from raw material extraction to deconstruction or decomposition. I’d also like to tell you mine.

In my mid-twenties, after a friend introduced me to a journeyman roofer, I became a trash hauler, shoveling tear-off cedar shingles into the back of a pickup truck. Over the course of my roofing career, from trash hauler to crew manager to owner of 3R Roofing, I have made many runs to the landfill and have seen thousands of tons of roofing material removed, hauled, and dumped.

Not until the passage of Colorado Amendment 37 in 2004 and the institutionalization and production of solar-powered renewable energy did it occur to me that resource conservation and energy efficiency had to be the biggest part of my company’s mission. Power partnering with PV solar installers and jumping on the bandwagon of the renewable energy movement was pretty heady stuff, but I had to ask myself, “What can I do as a roofing contractor to divert materials from the landfill? And what can I do to help my customers reduce their carbon footprint with the roofing material choices they make?”

Here are some important basic issues I discovered:

1.  Coal-fired utility plants generate about 70 % of Colorado’s electricity. We cool our homes and buildings primarily with coal, and heat our indoor air and water primarily with natural gas. We Coloradans use about 10% more energy, and therefore more of our money, heating our homes than cooling them. Heat gain and heat loss can be significantly affected by attic ventilation and insulation and roofing choices.
2. Coal and natural gas are non-renewable resources that produce greenhouse gas (CO2). Solar power and wind power are renewable energy resources that produce no CO2. (Xcel is on course to produce 15–20% of Colorado’s electricity with renewable energy in the next 10 years.) Solid, still-functional rooftops are the site of choice for most photovoltaic (PV) and thermal solar systems.
3. Most steel roofing products are made from 35–85% recycled material and are 100% recyclable; and every pound of recycled steel used in manufacturing prevents 1,800 lbs. of CO2. Products with an Energy Star rating provide higher reflectivity and emmisivity, for a cooler house, less energy usage, a cost savings, and less CO2.
4. U.S. concrete production, including concrete roofing tiles, causes roughly 8% of all CO2 emissions. Clay tiles have a smaller environmental impact in their manufacturing and can be more durable and attractive. End-use tire rubber, hose, plastics, and carpet are now being used for high-recycled-content roofing products, the installation of which reduces end waste in landfills and curtails the use of high embodied-energy materials. For durability, value, and budget, however, asphalt shingles are preferred for most residential construction. Some asphalt shingles are Energy Star-rated, and lighter colors provide greater cooling benefits than darker ones. Currently, 99% of tear-off asphalt shingles are not recycled in the U.S. (100% go to the landfills in Colorado), though a handful of states use them in their hot mix asphalt for roads. Every ton of tear-off shingles recycled prevents 110 lbs. of CO2.

So, with all this information, what does one do next when considering a new or existing roof? I would ask:

1. With all the choices available, what makes the most sense for me? If PV or thermal solar panels is an option, is my roof functional enough to hold the mounting hardware for years to come?
2. Is my home or business comfortable enough in the summer? Winter? Would I like to reduce my energy cost considerably? How much CO2 can I offset by my roofing choices?
3. What is my best choice for roofing material with regard to energy efficiency, resource conservation, and air quality? What is the embodied-energy impact of my roofing decision?
4. If color and appearance are important to me, what choices will reduce heat gain in my home or business? How might I cut the cost of my home/business insurance premium?

Some of the answers are simple and quick; some are not. And roofing choices alone will not address all the considerations. As a green-built roofing contractor, however, I see the reuse of tear-off shingles as imperative to the sustainability of my industry.

To that end, born of 3R Roofing’s vision, RoofCycle has been training roofers, haulers and others to effectively test and deliver clean tear off shingle loads (RAS) to paving contractor collection points for future use in hot mix asphalt for road paving.

RoofCycle is also promoting this process through the building department offices of local   municipalities. And, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is considering the large scale use of RAS in hybrid mix designs for road paving. This will “pave” the way for a significant amount of processed tear-off shingles—a more promising end to the life of an asphalt shingle.