Your roof replacement generates 3-5 tons of waste.

Most of it goes to the landfill.

But it doesn't have to.

The Roofing Waste Problem

According to EPA data, construction and demolition debris accounts for 600 million tons of waste annually in the US.

Asphalt roofing shingles make up 11 million tons of that — about 2%.

From a typical Richmond roof replacement:

Average roof: 30 squares (3,000 sq ft)
Old shingles plus underlayment: 6,000-9,000 pounds
One dumpster load

Where it goes:

75% to landfills
15% to illegal dump sites (cheaper disposal by sketchy contractors)
10% to recycling facilities

That 10% recycling rate is growing, but slowly.

What Asphalt Shingles Are Made Of

Understanding composition helps explain recycling options.

Asphalt shingles contain:

30-35% asphalt (petroleum product)
25-30% fiberglass or organic mat (backing material)
15-20% limestone/granules (surface coating)
5-10% sand and filler

All of these materials can be recycled or repurposed. The question is whether it's economically viable.

Where Richmond Homeowners Can Recycle Shingles

Option 1: Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA)

Location: 1800 Darbytown Road, Henrico

What they accept:

Asphalt shingles (clean, separated)
Not accepted: Tar paper, felt, nails in large quantities

Cost:

$67 per ton (as of May 2026)
Minimum charge for small loads

Hours:

Monday-Friday 7am-4pm
Saturday 7am-12pm

What happens to the shingles:

CVWMA partners with recycling processors who grind shingles into aggregate used for:

Road base material
Paving asphalt mix
Temporary road surfaces

Contractor use:

Most Richmond roofing contractors don't use CVWMA for tear-off disposal because:

Requires separating shingles from other debris (time-consuming)
Not open during convenient hours for job site schedules
Landfill disposal is often cheaper when mixed with other materials

But some eco-conscious contractors will do it if you request and pay the extra labor cost.

Option 2: Shingle Recycling Processors

Virginia Shingle Recycling (Sandston area) accepts loads from contractors.

They process shingles into:

Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) used in road construction
Base material for driveways and parking lots
Hot mix asphalt additive (up to 5% recycled shingle content)

For homeowners:

You can't drop off directly. Must go through contractor who hauls to recycling facility instead of landfill.

Cost impact:

Recycling usually costs same or slightly more than landfill disposal:

Landfill: $45-60 per ton + transport
Recycling: $50-70 per ton + transport

Difference on typical roof: $50-150 extra to recycle.

Option 3: Some Materials Supply Companies

Certain asphalt plants and paving companies accept clean shingle loads for grinding and reuse in asphalt production.

Requirements:

Large quantities (usually 10+ tons minimum)
Clean (no nails, tar paper, or wood contamination)
Arranged in advance

For homeowners:

Not practical for single-home tear-offs. Only viable for contractors doing multiple jobs or large commercial projects.

What About Other Roofing Materials?

Metal Roofing (Highly Recyclable)

Recycling rate: 85-95%

Metal roofs are nearly 100% recyclable. Steel and aluminum have scrap value.

Where to recycle in Richmond:

Axle Scrap Metal Recycling (4801 Old Osborne Turnpike)
Cohen Metal Recycling (Multiple locations)
TFC Recycling (3300 Deepwater Terminal Rd)

What you get paid:

Steel roofing: $0.03-0.08 per pound (May 2026 prices)
Aluminum roofing: $0.40-0.70 per pound
Copper flashing: $2.50-3.50 per pound

Typical metal roof tear-off (3,000 sq ft):

Weight: 2,500-4,000 pounds
Scrap value: $75-320 depending on material

Most contractors keep the scrap value (they're doing the labor). But you can negotiate to have it deducted from your project cost.

Wood Shingles/Shakes (Limited Options)

Recycling rate: 5-10%

Wood roofing can theoretically be:

Chipped for mulch
Processed for biomass fuel
Composted (if untreated)

Reality in Richmond:

Most wood shingle tear-offs go to landfill because:

Often treated with fire retardants or preservatives (can't compost)
Mixed with nails and metal flashing (contamination)
Volume too small for commercial processors

Some landscape supply companies accept clean wood chips, but not roofing tear-off material.

Slate and Tile (Reusable)

Recycling rate: 20-30% (but 60%+ are reused)

Slate and tile roofs are often removed carefully for reuse or resale.

Intact slate/tile has value:

Salvaged slate: $3-12 per piece depending on size/condition
Salvaged clay tile: $2-8 per piece

Where to sell in Richmond:

Architectural salvage shops (Black Dog Salvage, The Demolition Depot)
Online (Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace)
Direct to contractors working on historic restorations

Catch:

Careful removal is labor-intensive. Contractors charge $3-8 per sq ft more for salvage removal vs. tear-off.

On 30-square roof:

Salvage removal: $9,000-24,000 extra labor
Salvaged material value: $1,800-10,800

Usually doesn't pencil out unless you have rare, historic slate in excellent condition.

Broken slate and tile can be crushed for landscape aggregate but rarely worth the processing cost.

Underlayment and Felt (Not Recyclable)

Recycling rate: <1%

Tar paper, synthetic underlayment, and ice-and-water shield are not recyclable through standard programs.

They go to landfill.

What Happens to Recycled Shingles?

Asphalt shingles get ground into 1-3 inch chips called Recycled Asphalt Shingle (RAS).

Primary uses:

1. Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) for Paving

Shingle chips replace some virgin asphalt in road paving mixes.

Benefits:

Reduces need for petroleum asphalt
Decreases paving costs by 5-10%
Performance equal to or better than virgin asphalt

Limitations:

Limited to 5% RAS content in mix (higher percentages reduce durability)
Must be clean (nails and contamination are problems)

2. Cold Patch Asphalt

Pothole repair material often contains 10-20% RAS.

3. Road Base and Temporary Roads

Ground shingles work well as:

Gravel road base layer
Construction site temporary roads
Parking lot subbase

Less processing required (don't need to remove all nails).

4. Fuel Supplement

Some cement kilns and power plants burn shingles as fuel supplement.

Energy content:

Asphalt shingles have 60-70% the BTU value of coal.

Environmental concerns:

Burning releases emissions (sulfur, particulates). EPA regulated, but controversial.

Why Isn't More Roofing Material Recycled?

If materials are recyclable, why does 75% still go to landfills?

Barriers:

1. Contamination

Shingles mixed with:

Wood (decking, fascia)
Nails (lots of nails)
Tar paper
Flashing metal
Random jobsite debris

Sorting is labor-intensive and expensive.

2. Economics

Landfill tipping fees in Virginia: $45-60 per ton

Recycling processing fees: $50-75 per ton

Plus extra labor to separate materials.

Contractors operate on thin margins. Unless homeowner specifically pays for recycling, cheapest disposal wins.

3. Market Demand

Road construction is seasonal in Virginia (mostly spring/summer).

Shingle recycling facilities need consistent demand for RAS. Winter months see stockpiling or landfilling.

4. Logistics

Recycling facilities are limited. Richmond area has 2-3 active shingle recyclers.

If your contractor is in Charlottesville, hauling to Richmond recycler adds $200-400 in transport costs vs. local landfill.

5. Quality Concerns

Old shingles (20+ years) are degraded. Asphalt is brittle, granules are embedded.

Recycling these produces lower-quality RAS than recycling manufacturer scrap or new construction waste.

Some recyclers won't accept shingles over 15 years old.

What You Can Do as a Homeowner

Request Recycling in Your Contract

Ask contractors:

"Do you offer shingle recycling?"
"What's the cost difference?"
"Which facility do you use?"

Some contractors already recycle by default. Others will if you ask and cover the marginal cost.

Typical cost impact:

$100-250 extra on roof replacement to recycle vs. landfill.

Choose Contractors Who Prioritize Sustainability

Some Richmond roofing companies market eco-friendly practices:

Recycling tear-off materials
Using recycled-content shingles
Minimizing waste through careful estimation
Proper disposal documentation

Worth asking during estimates.

Consider Recycled-Content Shingles

Some manufacturers now make shingles containing recycled materials:

GAF Timberline HDZ:

Contains post-consumer recycled content in mat and asphalt
Performance equal to virgin-material shingles
Same price point

CertainTeed Landmark:

Uses recycled materials in production
LEED-eligible

These don't solve disposal problem (they'll eventually need recycling too), but they close the loop on past waste.

Separate Metal for Scrap

Even if your asphalt shingles go to landfill, you can ensure metal components get recycled:

Flashing (aluminum, steel, copper)
Drip edge
Valley metal
Removed vents

Ask contractor to separate and take to scrap yard. Most will keep the scrap value (maybe $30-80), but at least it's not landfilled.

The Future of Shingle Recycling

Trends:

1. Extended Producer Responsibility Laws

Some states are considering legislation requiring shingle manufacturers to fund recycling programs.

California and Washington have explored this. Virginia hasn't yet.

2. Improved Processing Technology

New shingle grinders can better handle nails and contamination, reducing sorting labor.

3. Higher Landfill Costs

As tipping fees increase, recycling becomes more economically competitive.

4. LEED and Green Building Standards

Commercial projects seeking LEED certification get points for construction waste recycling.

This drives demand for recycling even when it costs slightly more.

5. Manufacturer Take-Back Programs

GAF and Owens Corning have explored pilot programs where contractors return tear-off material to manufacturer collection points.

Not yet available in Richmond, but testing in select markets.

Realistic Expectations

Be honest: most residential roof tear-offs in Richmond still go to landfills.

Recycling infrastructure is limited, costs are slightly higher, and contractor adoption is slow.

But the rate is improving:

2015: ~5% recycling rate
2020: ~8% recycling rate
2025: ~10% recycling rate (estimated)

If sustainability matters to you, paying an extra $150-250 to recycle your roof tear-off is meaningful.

Over time, as more homeowners request it, infrastructure will grow and costs will drop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recycle shingles from a small repair, or only full replacements?

Recycling facilities want loads of 500+ pounds minimum. Small repairs (50-100 pounds) aren't economical to recycle. Those typically go to household trash or contractor's dumpster (which goes to landfill).

Do recycled shingles in asphalt roads hold up as well as virgin materials?

Yes. Studies by FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) show asphalt mixes with up to 5% RAS perform equally to virgin mixes. Some studies show improved rut resistance.

Can I compost asphalt shingles?

No. Asphalt is petroleum-based and doesn't biodegrade. The fiberglass mat won't break down either. Composting only works for untreated wood shingles (rare).

What about the nails in tear-off shingles?

Commercial recycling facilities use magnets and screening to remove most nails. Some nails remain in final RAS product, which is acceptable for road base applications. For hot mix asphalt, nail removal is more thorough.

Planning a roof replacement and care about environmental impact? We'll discuss recycling options, costs, and sustainable material choices for your Richmond home.

Call (804) 238-7837 or request an eco-friendly roofing consultation — let's build your roof responsibly.

Where Do Old Roof Shingles Go? Recycling Options in Richmond