NAPA News: EPA Looks at Carbon Credit for RAP, Shingles

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 office in Denver asked NAPA for input on its draft environmental life-cycle assessment for the use of asphalt shingles in pavement mixes. The report clearly identifies the potential for a large carbon credit due to waste/landfill avoidance when using RAP and RAS. "Although we have known that RAP and shingles are beneficial from a recycling perspective, this report is the first of its kind to document the landfill space saved due to their recycling and the associated CO2 avoidance," stated Dr. Howard Marks, NAPA Vice President for Environmental Affairs. "In fact, the carbon footprint reduction is quite large due to the energy, transportation, and machinery otherwise expended in putting these recyclable materials in a landfill." The EPA report is expected to be released within the next six months.