ForConstructionPros.com

Recycling of tear-off asphalt shingles is ready for full-scale, commercial operations. That’s the message from two companies that sponsored a special event held in Shakopee, MN on October 21. The main barrier is the need for a permissive materials specification from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).

Dem-Con Recovery & Recycling, a subsidiary of Dem-Con Companies, is a local recycling company that has recently invested in the equipment and systems needed to turn tear-off shingles into a valuable recycled product.

Once residential asphalt shingles have been sorted and cleaned to remove contaminants and then ground, the product can be introduced into the mix at hot mix asphalt (HMA) plants.

Commercial Asphalt Company is a local HMA producer that has successfully tested the use of recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) material produced by Dem-Con. Commercial Asphalt, a subsidiary of Tiller Corp., is in the business of manufacturing high-quality asphalt. Commercial has been making and using reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) from old bituminous roads for over 20 year.

“Recycling of tear-off shingles will be a significant new step forward in abating the need for landfilling shingles,” says Jason Haus, vice president of Dem-Con. “Our landfill alone receives about 50,000 tons per year of roofing waste.