There are many items that can be sent to a recycling center to reduce your carbon footprint and the stress on the environment. Roofing shingles are another object to include on this list, as these roofing materials can easily be repurposed. Here are four of the most impactful benefits of recycling shingles.

Why You Should Recycle Shingles

1. Save Resources

When you reuse shingles by taking them to a recycling center, you reduce the demand for oil, which is used to produce shingles. Recycled asphalt can also be transformed into pavement, which in turn lowers the necessity for mining aggregate typically used for paving and laying roadways.

2. Reduce Landfill Waste

Shingle recycling reduces the amount of construction waste that ultimately ends up in a landfill. Sending shingles to a recycling center instead will help reduce overfilling in landfills, which is a serious issue. It also stops gases and other dangerous substances from entering the air and water — which happens as shingle materials break down in landfills.

3. Lower Costs

If there’s less need for producing new materials, production costs are lower. When contractors save money, so do you. In addition, recycling asphalt leads to tax savings, especially in towns where public buildings and roads rely on recycled materials.

4. Facilitate Repurposing

One of the greatest advantages of asphalt is that it can be recycled over and over without losing its value. Shingles can be the basis for a variety of structures and surfaces, such as roads, parking lots, and driveways. In fact, mixing recycling asphalt with gravel makes for a less dusty surface and lowers the amount of gravel lost in high traffic areas.

Green Earth is central Virginia’s full-service recycling center. Located in Harrisonburg, their waste disposal programs ensure that a variety of materials are handled properly to protect the environment and reduce waste. Their shingle recycling service ensures that each shingle is put back into asphalt for future use. Call (540) 801-8668 for more information about their dumpster rentals and plastic, metal, or concrete recycling. Visit their website for a list of services.