Roofing Recycling: Where Does My Old Roof Go?
Living in a very environmentally conscious world causes people to consider how their lifestyle is affecting the atmosphere. The awareness of how our daily activities impact the environment is the first step to making a positive influence. This applies to how an individual can reduce their carbon footprint as well as which household items can be recycled instead of trashed. Roofing material recycling is a great tool that when implemented can greatly decrease the amount of landfills locally, across the country and around the world. Recently the concern has become what happens during the recycling process, especially for unusual items such as housing and construction materials. People wonder what to do with old roof shingles and other byproducts of home improvements and renovations.
Recycling Roofing Shingles
Virtually every type of roofing material can be recycled or repurposed in some way. Obviously, metal and tin roofing can be sold as scrap metal or dropped off at a local recycling center. Metal framing and other roofing construction debris can be altered and reused as nearly anything from street signs to cans to more building materials.
Roof shingle disposal can actually be a two-fold project. For example, asphalt shingle recycling programs offer homeowners a way to transform their old roof into new features that enhance the existing landscaping. They may be rearranged as sidewalk pavers, retaining walls and other creative centerpieces scattered throughout the property. The second part of the recycling project is that the new structure can be made of eco friendly roofing instead of the standard asphalt shingles that were recently discarded.
Impact of Recycling
Overall, there are many benefits to recycling whenever possible. Reducing the amount of waste is probably the top priority for most people and that is an admirable reason to recycle. Environmentalists and green building experts also note that for every building material that can be recycled and reused, less natural resources have to be harvested for future projects. To encourage this practice, many companies offer incentives for individuals or contractors who recycle roofing material and other construction byproducts. As a result of this benefit, some contractors will even waive the disposal fee to homeowners to remove trash and other materials from the property at the completion of a project. Likewise, homeowners may qualify for tax incentives for using eco friendly roofing or participating in an asphalt shingle recycle event.
A Personal Choice
Despite the obvious benefits, not everyone chooses to recycle on a daily basis or for large renovation projects. The reasons may vary but are usually rooted in some degree of uncertainty. People usually have questions about materials that are recyclable as well as when, where and how to recycle items. They may ask themselves, “Can you recycle asphalt shingles?” or may have concerns about safely removing potentially dangerous materials, “Is there asbestos in asphalt shingles?” More practically, homeowners may simply want to know, “Where can I recycle my old roofing?”
A certified building professional can answer these and any other questions that homeowners may have about roof recycling. Local recycling facilities are usually available to accept donations or weigh materials to be sold for recycling purposes. Homeowners armed with the proper information find that the recycling process becomes easy and rewarding.
Contact Roofing Specialists of San Diego for more information on how we can help.
