ERA Touts Success of Roof Recycling Program

The recycling of single-ply rubber roofing membrane called ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) has grown significantly since the introduction of a recycling program, according to the EPDM Roofing Association (ERA). The association says that EPDM is one of the leading recycled commercial roofing products in North America.

Since initiating a recycling program on a pilot basis in 2006 and 2007, the association reports that more than 5 million square feet of EPDM membrane have been recycled. That total is the largest recorded figure for a recycled commercial roofing product in North America. In all, roughly 1.25 million pounds of reclaimed EPDM membrane has been diverted from landfills in the past three years, the ERA says.

After initiating the program four years ago, ERA expanded the program in 2008 and 2009, partly due to the introduction of the ERA Recycling Council, featuring ERA Affiliate Members. The Affiliate Member category is open to any company engaged in any aspect of the business of recycling EPDM or other single-ply roof membranes.

Nationwide Foam Inc., Framingham, Mass.; and West Development Group, LaGrange, Ohio; are the first members of the Recycling Council. Through the efforts of these partners, the EPDM recycling program is active in 48 states and several provinces in southern Canada.

The program is available for low-slope ballasted and mechanically attached non-reinforced EPDM membrane tear-offs, offering jobsite collection and transportation directly to a recycling center.

“We have seen significant progress in the recycling program in the past 18 months,” says Mike DuCharme, director of product marketing for Carlisle, Pa.-based Carlisle SynTec, and chairman of ERA’s board of directors. “EPDM is now well-positioned in a changing marketplace, which has high expectations for sustainable performance and a life cycle that extends into recycling. That means when you remove an EPDM roof to recycle it, the best choice to replace is more EPDM.”

“We value the role played by our Affiliate Members,” says Ed Kane, a member of the ERA’s Technical Committee. “This has enabled us to create the beginning of a proven infrastructure that simplifies the process and makes recycling economically viable for roofing contractors and building owners. We now turn our attention to expanding our partnerships and infrastructure to allow for more material to be recycled, thus increasing the possibilities for teaming with companies interested in using recycled EPDM in their products.”