Shingle Recycling Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

The ongoing goal of Pitt County Solid Waste and Recycling Department is to divert as much waste from the waste stream as possible by finding markets to recycle these materials. Tear-off roofing shingles were identified as a substantial part of the construction and demolition waste stream coming into their transfer station facility. Up until recently there were no markets in North Carolina for the shingles to be recycled. One of the obstacles with tear-off shingles was the possibility of asbestos from the shingles ending up in the waste stream. However, the timing was right for the issue to be brought back before the regulatory agencies to consider allowing the collection and processing of shingles due to the fact that it has been over 30 years since shingles were made with asbestos. Therefore, Pitt County applied to the State to modify its permit to collect the shingles for recycling and partnered with a local paving company to recycle the shingles by mixing them into a hot-mix to make asphalt.