GAF announced the successful completion of the industry’s first asphalt roofing shingles made from recycled material from post-consumer and post-manufacture waste shingles that would otherwise have been landfilled.
This breakthrough represents a significant step forward in the development of more sustainable, affordable roofing materials, with significant implications for improving sustainability and circularity throughout the roofing supply chain.
“This latest innovation from GAF represents the first major step towards a circular economy for asphalt roofing shingles,” said Jim Schnepper, President of GAF. We envision a future in which every homeowner can replace their roof with high-quality, low-cost shingles made from recycled asphalt.”
The new shingle recycling process uses fewer raw materials to make new shingles while maintaining product quality and performance.
GAF was able to reclaim more than 90% of the waste shingle material by weight during its successful tests, which were then reused in the production of new shingles.
GAF also demonstrated its ability to produce new shingles with up to 15% recycled material that were UL-certified for safety and effectiveness. The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted GAF three patents for this new shingle recycling process.
GAF is investing more than $100 million in the recycling process, including the establishment of a pilot operation in 2021 to allow the company to conduct additional research and development on its process.
Through the pilot, GAF expects to assess the maximum amount of recycled asphalt that can be used to make new shingles that meet the company’s high standards while optimizing the manufacturing process before scaling it across its operations.
“This innovation has the potential to reduce a significant waste stream in the United States and represents an important advancement within the roofing industry,” said Tad Radzinski, Certification Officer at GreenCircle Certified, a third-party certification organization.
“GAF is charting a course to reduce environmental impacts across the shingle product life cycle and provide a truly circular, sustainable solution for roofing products by recovering valuable end-of-life roofing materials.”
As the leading manufacturer in North America, where GAF covers one out of every four residential roofs, GAF is uniquely positioned to extend the impact of this innovation across manufacturing facilities in order to help reduce landfill waste and continue to offer more sustainable roofing options to its customers.
