The roofing industry accounts for a massive amount of waste every year. It’s estimated that 11,000,000 tons of waste in the United States are produced in the roofing industry. In order to reduce our impact in this industry, it is important to consider roofing materials that can be recycled. Here’s a look behind the scenes on how your dated roof gets recycled:
If you have BUR, TPO, Rubber, or a vinyl roof, there is an established recycling system in place that has been recycling and replacing these types of materials for over a decade. Companies have been collecting and recycling industrial vinyl to produce new materials since 1997.
Asphalt shingles have their place in construction and a large portion of asphalt roofs can be taken to recycling centers and reformed into felt paper debris used in road construction. Metal flashing can also be transported back to steel mills for reforming and wood scraps can be separated out in recycling as required.
Metal roofing also has a high percentage of recycled content in North America. Roughly 70% of all steel products can be re-recycled to replace them. Flat rolled aluminum construction has a recycle rate of 85%. Metal roofs are produced with a content of recycled metal up to 95% from the greenest manufacturers. When most modern metal roofs are removed following a roofing job, they contain 100% recyclable materials. We have come a long way with regards to recyclable materials in metal roofing structures and making the choice to install metal roofing materials can be a far more sustainable option for our future.
If you would like to learn more about the best sustainable roofing materials and how we repurpose your dated roofing components, contact us today. We can help you choose the best new sustainable roofing materials for your home.
This post was written by Ted Williams! Ted is the owner of A Old Time Roofing which is the premier Largo Roofing Contractor! Ted is a Master Elite Weather Stopper GAF Roofing Contractor, a double award winner of Best Steep-Slope Contractor from GAF and achiever of Master Elite Consumer Protection Excellence from GAF. He has been serving the Pinellas County area since 1978. A Old Time Roofing has been a tradition in quality workmanship, servicing residential and commercial properties.