Asphalt pavement is the most recycled material in the USA.
With a 99% recycling rate, asphalt pavement is the most recycled product in the USA, easily beating materials that are more commonly associated with recycling, such as aluminum (the recycling rate for aluminum cans is a mere 55%).
Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) is nothing new. Recycling rates for asphalt pavement have consistently surpassed 90% for years. Statistics from the USA Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that asphalt pavement recycling has topped the recycling charts for over twenty years.
An Environmental & Economic Success
With use after use, the asphalt cement (binder) in pavement retains its cohesiveness, so it keeps its value no matter how many times it is recycled.
Why is recycled asphalt pavement such a huge success (yet so little known)?
Asphalt pavement recycling is both successful and obscure for the same simple reason: it is a streamlined process. The distance between the raw material and the end user is reasonably short, so the transport costs are minimal. The process of milling pavement down to a re-usable size is very well established throughout the industry. The technology is commonplace.
Asphalt pavement recycling happens without much hassle and without government mandates. It happens without most people even knowing about it.
Sustainability Leads to More Sustainability
The asphalt pavement industry didn’t stop with recycled asphalt pavement (RAP). The paving industry has developed warm mix asphalt (WMA) and asphalt shingle recycling (RAS) as additional methods to increase profits while decreasing the carbon footprint of the whole industry.
The Wrong Assumptions & the Right Attitudes
Road construction can be a messy business, so most people assume the asphalt pavement industry has a bad track record for environmental sustainability. But the common assumption is far from the truth.
The asphalt pavement industry has adopted a new attitude toward waste materials decades ahead of the public.
From Waste to Opportunities
At Rotochopper, we have built a reputation for innovation by looking at piles of garbage and seeing new opportunities—wood waste, asphalt shingle scrap, yard waste, and many other raw materials. We build equipment that changes attitudes toward waste. Simply put, Rotochopper equipment changes piles of waste into opportunities.
Learn More
How can we help change your approach to waste materials? Contact us today to start the conversation.
Sources
http://www.asphaltpavement.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=45
http://www.asphaltpavement.org/images/stories/is-138_rap_ras_wma_survey_2009_2010.pdf