In our world today, every industry is taking steps to reduce the waste that they produce and conduct their business more sustainably.
The roofing industry is one such industry. Roofers encourage homeowners to invest in more environmentally friendly roofing materials like metal, solar shingles, and green roofing options.
For years, asphalt shingle roofing was notorious for being the least environmentally friendly roofing material. Asphalt is a byproduct of crude oil. Not only is it made from a non-renewable resource, but its lifespan is also one of the shortest compared to other materials available on the market today.
Once asphalt shingle roofing systems have reached the end of their lifespans, they are usually torn off and sent straight to a landfill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the roofing industry produces 13 million tons of asphalt waste every year.
The paving and road construction industry recycles about 10% of the 13 million tons of asphalt used to create new roads across America.
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.
Recognizing this environmental issue and their responsibility as a leading asphalt shingle manufacturer in the United States, GAF has attempted to turn the tide on asphalt waste by producing the roofing industry’s first roofing product containing Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS).
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.
During the manufacturing processes of the GAF RAS material, manufacturers were able to reclaim 90% of the asphalt waste material and create a RAS shingle with a 15% recycled asphalt composition. 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.
GAF is taking steps to build a sustainable circular economy. The company aims to develop shingles that use higher percentages of recycled materials without sacrificing their renowned quality standards.
For information on asphalt roofing systems, GAF roofing materials, or roofing in general, give Industrial Roofing Contractors a call today!
