Did you know that roughly 13 million tons of old asphalt materials get ripped off of roofs in the United States every year? Have you ever thought about where all of that waste goes once it’s removed from your roof? Presently, only 10% of the total asphalt waste gets repurposed into road and paving developments—the other 90% goes directly to the landfill. If we’re talking numbers, that’s around 12 million tons of asphalt materials that go to the landfills every year.
Presented with this colossal issue, GAF recognized that it was becoming an even bigger problem and took up the responsibility of addressing the asphalt waste in our landfills. This blog goes into greater detail and shares all about GAF recycled shingles.
About GAF
GAF is an industry leader in the roofing marketplace and also one of the largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturers in the United States. More homes and businesses are secured with a GAF roof than by any other product in America. GAF has been around for over 130 years and takes pride in focusing on customer-driven and innovative solutions.
Recycling Breakthrough with Shingles
GAF took on the challenge of tackling growing asphalt waste and recently announced the roofing industry’s first asphalt roofing shingle to contain recycled asphalt shingles (RAS). Materials that would have been sent to a landfill were recycled and repurposed into new recycled asphalt shingles. Upwards of 90% of the asphalt shingle waste was reclaimed and produced new recycled asphalt shingles that had up to 15% recycled shingle content. GAF made it possible to significantly reduce asphalt shingle waste while simultaneously keeping up with GAF’s high-performance standards and high product quality.
By recycling the millions of tons of old asphalt shingle waste, GAF is able to significantly limit the use of a huge petroleum product. In turn, this will have a significant positive effect on the environment and make the roofing industry much more sustainable.
The Process of Shingle Recycling
In the past, the life cycle of asphalt shingles was bleak and short. Asphalt shingles were placed on roofs, torn off over time, and then sent to a landfill to break down. The new process of recycled asphalt shingles makes this process circular and continuous, rather than linear. The GAF roof to roof life cycle follows this circular pattern: asphalt shingles are placed on roofs, torn off over time, sent to a collection center, processed and recycled, sent back to be re-manufactured into recycled asphalt shingles, then they are then installed on new roofs. To put this into perspective, one old roof could be recycled and contribute to the build of 9 to 14 new roofs—talk about sustainability!
GAF MasterElite Factory Certified Roofer in Connecticut
At Harmony Home Improvement, we are proud to be one of the few GAF MasterElite Factory Certified Roofers in Connecticut. This special certification allows us to offer our customers special warranties and guarantees a professional install of the product. Schedule your project inspection and get a free estimate today!
