From roofs to roads in Iowa city

A roofing company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa has paired with the Solid Waste Agency there to produce material for roads from landfill-destined roofing shingles.They hope to divert 6,000 tons of shingles from being solid waste to being asphalt over the next year. The ultimate goal for the county is to divert a total of 10,000 tons of shingle waste per year.

The shingles are ground up and added to the asphalt mix, and reduce the need to buy other petroleum products to be mixed in. They do not affect the look and feel of the asphalt, and it is a double-win, as it saves money and diverts waste.

This is an excellent example of innovative recycling, and is something that can be done in cities all around the United States. As long as homes are being re-roofed, there will be shingle waste. Instead of that waste going into landfills, they can become a part of our roads. As citizens, we can urge political leaders to  make things like this happen in our communities. Imagine the difference that could be made with thousands of tons less waste being dumped into our landfills.

Chicago Tribune, Roofs to Roads