Photo courtesy of Recycling Today photo archive
GAF, a Standard Industries manufacturing company based in Parsippany, New Jersey, has announced plans for its initial commercial-scale asphalt shingle recycling operation to reclaim post-consumer shingle waste and support production of the first roofing shingles manufactured with recycled asphalt.
The operation includes a new asphalt shingle recycling center located in Corsicana, Texas, designed to take end-of-life roofing shingles, reclaim 90 percent of the waste material collected and create high-quality recycled asphalt briquettes that can be transported and used in the manufacture of new products. It also includes an expansion to GAF's Ennis, Texas shingle plant, which will allow it to utilize the briquettes to manufacture shingles containing recycled material that meet the same standards for quality and performance as GAF’s other Timberline products.
GAF expects both components to be fully operational by the end of 2023. GAF plans to scale this recycling capability with the ultimate goal of incorporating recycled asphalt content across all GAF shingle products and diverting at least 1 million tons of asphalt shingles annually from landfills by 2030, the company says. Once operations are up and running, the Corsicana facility will be able to divert 300,000 tons of shingle waste from landfills a year, supplying the Ennis plant, and other shingle facilities, with enough recycled asphalt briquettes to produce shingles containing recycled content for more than 660,000 homes each year.
“The breakthrough technology that we have developed not only allows us to create a circular economy for asphalt roofing singles but also creates a product that can be used by any company that requires asphalt as a component of its manufacturing process,” says Jim Schnepper, chief executive officer of GAF. “As leaders in the roofing industry, we have a responsibility to use our expertise and resources to make a positive impact. We are proud of this important milestone, which is good for the industry and the planet.”
About 75 percent of roofs in the U.S. are protected with asphalt shingles, and only about 10 percent of those roofs are reused or recycled, with the rest (13 million tons) ending up in landfills, according to GAF. The company says the shingles from just one roof produce enough recycled material to cover 12 new roofs through its process.
“This is an exciting moment for the city of Corsicana,” says Mayor Don Denbow, city of Corsicana, Texas. “We are proud to have been selected by GAF as the location for their first full-scale recycling facility and to be at the forefront of innovation and sustainability in the roofing industry. The work that will be done in Corsicana will have a positive impact for generations to come.”
“GAF is a tremendous partner bringing capital investment and good jobs to our community. We are honored to have Ennis selected for this milestone expansion project,” says Mayor Angeline Juenemann, city of Ennis, Texas. “The city of Ennis is a city that cares about our environment, being a part of the innovative work GAF is doing to address a major sustainability issue is a privilege we don’t take lightly.”
