Roof Waste Recycling Program
At North American Roofing, we’re constantly evolving to meet our customers’ needs without compromising the environmental welfare of future generations. In 2012, we began company-wide initiatives to reduce our own carbon footprint, and we encourage our customers to do the same by including recycling information in every proposal we send out. Join us in reducing landfill waste and in creating a greener, healthier world.
- Reduce landfill waste. Commit to a cleaner world.
- Lessen your environmental footprint. Take an ecological stand.
- Make an environmentally responsible statement.
Is Green Buried within Your Triple Bottom Line?
Many businesses we work with have developed their own stories of sustainability, ones their customers care very deeply and passionately about. It’s an aspect of “triple bottom line” thinking, or what’s sometimes referred to as “people, planet, and profit.” If your business has an active, ongoing brand and/or social media engagement with your consumers, making an investment in recycling is an investment in that relationship.
You’ll have a new and very powerful story to tell about your commitment to your customers and the planet we all share. And while we can’t promise you an algorithm that demonstrates ROI, you’re surely aware of consumers who are choosing where to spend based on the level of corporate commitment to the planet they see. You don’t have to recalibrate everything you do. But providing a thoughtful, sensitive approach to your own reroofing may pay dividends far beyond what you see today.
Did you know?
- Tearing off a typical 50,000-sq.-ft. roof that consists of single-ply membrane and 2.5-inch foam generates approximately 12,000 cubic feet of nonbiodegradable waste. In a landfill, that produces 390 lbs. of carbon dioxide, and that’s just the debris from a single roof.
- Many types of thermoplastic roofing materials are recyclable, including EPDM, PVC, and TPO membranes. Extruded polystyrene insulation and beadboard, in addition to composite foam insulation and polyisocyanurate foam insulation, are also recyclable.
- Overloading our landfills with nonbiodegradable waste can lead to chemical leaching and contamination of vital water supplies, and can contribute to the pollution of surrounding environments.
- By diverting reroofing waste to recycling centers, we’re not only reducing environmental degradation—we’re conserving valuable energy resources that go into the manufacture of new products. Your old roof will be transformed into new roofing membrane, athletic fields, picture frames, shipping materials, walking pads, and potentially hundreds of other items.
How Our Program Works
When you’re ready for a new roof, we’ll send out a representative to inspect the old roof, and if the materials are recyclable, we’ll let you know. Most of the time, we’ll be able to remove the old roofing materials and send them on their way to the recycling center at no additional cost to you. During the reroofing project, we’ll separate the recyclable membranes and foam materials from the nonrecyclable debris. We’ll track the recyclable material from the time it leaves the job site until it arrives at the recycling center, and we’ll let you know how much reroofing waste we saved from the landfill.
Environmental Benefits
Every year, Americans are adding 100 million tons of waste to our nation’s landfills. Contamination from overloaded and poorly designed landfills can leach into water tables and pollute the surrounding environment. By diverting roofing debris to recycling centers, North American Roofing is actively engaged in reducing environmental degradation.
Through our waste recycling program, we’re diminishing the impact on landfills and upcycling materials to make any number of things, like picture frames, walking pads, equipment covers, shipping materials, and artificial athletic fields. Recycling roofing waste spares valuable resources for future use.
Benefits to You—Our Customer
You are an important part of protecting our environment for future generations. While we strive to give you a long-lasting roof through quality installation and preventative maintenance, it’s reassuring to know that once your roof reaches the end of its usefulness, it can be recycled and reused.
By diverting reroofing materials from the waste stream, we’re making it possible for you to reach your sustainability goals in a way that diminishes the impact on the environment. Our program meets and exceeds most government regulations.
Rest assured that not only will you get a new, high-quality roof for your building; you’ll be taking part in our ongoing commitment to respect our environment and protect our resources.
Recyclable Roof Materials
Together, we can leave a lighter environmental footprint by recycling many types of roofing debris. During tear off, if the roof contains the following materials, North American Roofing will arrange to transfer the waste to a recycling center.
- TPO membrane
- PVC membrane
- EPDM membrane
- Extruded polystyrene insulation
- Extruded polystyrene beadboard
- Composite foam insulation
- Polyisocyanurate foam insulation