In our world today, every industry has started taking steps to reduce the waste they produce and conduct their business more sustainably.
In this modern era of global warming, it is vital that we take into consideration how much waste different industries produce and what we can do to change it. The roofing industry is one such industry. Roofers are starting to encourage homeowners to invest in environmentally friendly roofing materials like metal, solar shingles, and green roofing options.
For years, asphalt shingle roofing, while affordable, was notorious for being the least environmentally friendly roofing material. Asphalt shingles are a byproduct of crude oil. Therefore, not only is the roofing material made from a non-renewable resource, but it is also one of the roofing materials with the shortest lifespan.
When asphalt shingle roofs reach the end of their lifespans, they are torn off and sent straight to a landfill. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 13 million tons of waste are generated from the roofing industry every year.
The paving and road construction industry recycles about 10% of the 13 million tons of asphalt and uses it to construct new roads and paving across the country.
However, that still leaves about 12 million tons of waste making its way to landfills. And due to its engineering, this asphalt waste takes about 300 years to decompose.
GAF recognizes its responsibility in the manufacturing of asphalt shingles and has responded to this issue with their first roofing product containing Recycled Asphalt Shingles, a revolutionary new material.
GAF’s recycling process involves grinding down old, torn-off asphalt shingles into a more refined RAS material. Once this is achieved, the RAS is then introduced into their manufacturing process.
While testing out the recycling and manufacturing process of the GAF RAS material, the manufacturers were able to reclaim 90% of the waste material and create a new roofing shingle made up of 15% recycled asphalt material. The GAF RAS has been certified as safe and effective by UL, a global leader in safety science.
The new GAF RAS aims to reduce the amount of virgin asphalt produced and used in the roofing industry and thus reduce the amount of waste produced by the roofing industry.
This pilot project is turning the roofing industry on its head. GAF’s RAS shingle will consist of a higher percentage of RAS without compromising on quality and standards, paving the way for an even more sustainable circular economy.
Roofing can be tricky, so don’t tackle it on your own. Call Roofs for Life today and leave the roofing work in the hands of the experts.
