Recycling Shingles - the Asphalt kind, that is

Each year, thousands of shingles end up in Saskatchewan landfills. It seems odd, given that with a bit of processing, shingles can be recycled. They can be used as fuel, added to road bases, asphalt and cement paving and road repairs or as a top layer on gravel roads to reduce dust.

Why is it so difficult to make this happen? Cost is one of the major factors. The processing necessary to turn old shingles into a useful product involves many (costly) steps. Shingles must be collected with as little contamination as possible then transported to a processing area. Equipment must be invested in to grind or chip the shingles, which can also remove nails and any other foreign materials.

The concept is that it is cheaper to landfill them in Saskatchewan then it is to reprocess them. But this could be proven to be wrong in the near future. We have industry-leading research happening in the province. PSI technologies, which is also working with the City of Saskatoon on asphalt pavement recycling, is conducting tests on the benefits of shingles as a road construction material. They have already found that recycled asphalt is cost effective, and they have researched adding recycled tires into the mix. Shingles can't be far behind.

The other issue is that to cover those costs, there need to be end users. Clients must be found who know how to incorporate the reprocessed material into their construction practices. This means research needs to be conducted and results shared in the construction community to better understand the value of recycled shingles. In November of 2009 the 4th Asphalt Shingle Recycling Forum will be held in Chicago, IL. To find out more visit www.shinglerecycling.org.

(Source: May 2009 WasteWatch)

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