Iowa County Begins Recycling Shingles

The Cedar Rapids/Linn County (Iowa) Solid Waste Agency has opened a shingle recycling operation. The agency is working with Eastern Iowa Construction, Marion, Iowa, on the project. Further, Eastern Iowa Construction’s spinoff company, RAS Suppliers LLC, will recycle the asphalt shingles for asphalt paving.

Several reports note that the groups hope to divert between 6,000 and 10,000 tons of shingles over the next year. A report in the Chicago Tribune indicates the agency diverted 500 tons of shingles in the first 10 days of operation.

In addition to RAS Suppliers, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has begun trials where it uses recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in some road projects. RAS Suppliers is one of the companies the DOT will use for the paving material.

Contractors who bring their shingles to the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency must separate the shingles. According to reports, contractors pay $30 per ton to recycle shingles versus $38 per ton to have them landfilled.

Rising petroleum costs have led asphalt makers to look to RAS as a way to as a way to save on production costs.

 

During the 2011 C&D Recycling Forum, Marie Devries, a planner and contract administrator for The Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency discussed some of the future plans the agency has. Click the video below, to hear what she had to say.