Iowa county expands asphalt shingle recycling program

Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency, with facilities in Cedar Rapids and Marion, Iowa, began accepting asphalt shingles for recycling at its Marion facility located at 1954 County Home Rd. Shingle recycling was only available at 2250 A Street SW, Cedar Rapids, before.

The agency touts several incentives to recycle asphalt shingles. First, it keeps material out of the landfill. Second, it is cheaper to recycle asphalt shingles than throw them away: $30 per ton to recycle versus $38 per ton landfill tipping fee. Third is convenience. “Now roofers working on a job in northern Linn County will not have to drive twenty or thirty minutes to downtown Cedar Rapids to recycle and pay less to drop-off,” the agency says on its website, www.solidwasteagency.org.

The solid waste agency works with LL Pelling Co. to operate the asphalt shingle recycling program. Pelling takes the shingles, puts them through a grinder, and uses the material to help make new asphalt, going into roads all over Iowa. Pelling also recycles the wood and metal tear-off that comes with most shingle loads.