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INDUSTRY REPORTS · June 29, 2026

Roofing and Shingle Waste Recycling Report: U.S. Statistics 2026

U.S. shingle waste and recycling data from EPA, FHWA, and NAPA: about 11 to 13.5M tons generated yearly, roughly 6 to 7% recycled into pavement. 2026 analysis.

By The Roofing Brief Team

Asphalt roofing shingles are one of the largest single material streams inside U.S. construction and demolition (C&D) debris, yet the share that gets recycled is small and the underlying data is sparse. This briefing pulls the verifiable numbers from federal datasets and the asphalt-pavement industry’s own survey, then derives transparent estimates for how much shingle waste the United States generates each year and how little of it returns to use. Every figure below is attributed to a named source with a year and a working link, and every estimate states its formula and its limits.

Executive Summary

  • The U.S. generated about 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris in 2018, more than twice the municipal solid waste total for that year (Source: U.S. EPA, Facts and Figures, 2018 data, published 2020).
  • Asphalt shingles accounted for an estimated 13.5 million tons of C&D debris generation in 2015, the most recent year EPA broke the stream out by material (Source: U.S. EPA, “Construction and Demolition Debris Generation in the United States, 2015,” Table 6).
  • The Federal Highway Administration estimates roughly 11 million tons (10 million metric tons) of asphalt roofing shingle scrap are generated annually in the United States, with 90 to 95 percent coming from roof tear-offs (Source: FHWA-RD-97-148, “User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction”).
  • Asphalt mixture producers used an estimated 797,000 tons of recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in pavement during the 2023 construction season, up 18 percent from 673,000 tons in 2022 (Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, IS-138, 2023 survey).
  • Producers received about 1.37 million tons of shingles in 2023 but used only 797,000 tons, leaving roughly 1.18 million tons of RAS in stockpiles at year-end (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).
  • Dividing 2023 RAS use by the FHWA annual generation estimate implies a roughly 7 percent roofing-to-pavement recycling rate, consistent with secondary estimates that less than 10 percent of shingle scrap is recycled (derived; inputs from NAPA 2023 and FHWA-RD-97-148).
  • RAS used in 2023 reduced the need for an estimated 159,000 tons of asphalt binder and 398,000 tons of aggregate, a combined value above $109 million (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).
  • ARMA estimates the equivalent of about 256,400 residential roofs were recycled into asphalt pavement in 2024, based on the NAPA survey (Source: Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, 2024 estimate).

Key Findings

  • Total U.S. C&D debris generation was about 548 million tons in 2015 and rose to about 600 million tons in 2018 (Source: U.S. EPA, “Construction and Demolition Debris Generation in the United States, 2015,” Table 6; U.S. EPA Facts and Figures, 2018 data).
  • Demolition accounted for more than 90 percent of C&D debris generation in 2018, with construction activity making up the rest (Source: U.S. EPA Facts and Figures, 2018 data).
  • Of the 600 million tons generated in 2018, just over 455 million tons were directed to next use and just under 145 million tons were sent to landfills (Source: U.S. EPA Facts and Figures, 2018 data).
  • Asphalt shingle generation was estimated at 13.043 million tons in 2014 and 13.525 million tons in 2015 (Source: U.S. EPA, C&D Debris Generation 2015 report, Table 6).
  • Of the 13.525 million tons of shingle debris in 2015, about 12.675 million tons came from demolition and tear-off and about 850,000 tons from new-construction waste (Source: U.S. EPA, C&D Debris Generation 2015 report, Table 6).
  • EPA assumes a 20 to 30 year service life for asphalt shingles, the shortest of any major building material it tracks, which is why tear-offs dominate the shingle waste stream (Source: U.S. EPA, C&D Debris Generation 2015 report, Table 2).
  • Asphalt makes up about 25 to 35 percent of a shingle by weight, mineral material 60 to 70 percent, and felt backing 5 to 15 percent (Source: FHWA-RD-97-148).
  • RAS use in pavement grew from 701,000 tons in 2009 to an estimated 797,000 tons in 2023, a gain of about 14 percent over 14 years (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).
  • RAS use fell from a peak above 1.9 million tons in the mid-2010s, reflecting state specification limits, and remains below earlier highs (Source: NAPA IS-138 survey series, 2023).
  • Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), a separate stream, was used at 96.1 million tons in 2023, roughly 120 times the RAS volume (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).
  • More than 99 percent of reclaimed asphalt pavement is put back to use, while RAS remains underutilized by NAPA’s own assessment (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).
  • Reclaiming 839,000 tons of unprocessed RAS in 2023 is estimated to have saved about 510,000 cubic yards of landfill space and more than $47 million in disposal gate fees (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).
  • RAS stockpiles stood at about 1.18 million tons at the end of 2023, down 17 percent from 2022, indicating producers drew down inventory faster than they accepted new material (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).

How Much Roofing Waste the U.S. Generates

Two federal sources frame the size of the stream, and they are close but not identical because they use different methods and reference years. EPA’s materials-flow model puts asphalt shingle C&D debris generation at 13.525 million tons in 2015, the last year EPA published a per-material breakout. FHWA’s pavement-materials guidance estimates roughly 11 million tons (10 million metric tons) of shingle scrap per year, a figure that predates the EPA model and is best read as an order-of-magnitude benchmark rather than a current-year count.

Material 2014 generation (million tons) 2015 generation (million tons)
Concrete 375.3 381.8
Asphalt concrete 82.7 83.9
Wood products 38.6 39.0
Asphalt shingles 13.0 13.5
Drywall and plaster 12.7 13.0
Brick and clay tile 12.1 12.1
Steel 4.4 4.5
Total C&D debris 538.8 547.8

Source: U.S. EPA, “Construction and Demolition Debris Generation in the United States, 2015,” Table 6. Asphalt shingles were about 2.5 percent of total C&D debris by weight in 2015. Concrete and asphalt concrete together made up about 85 percent of the stream, which is why shingles, despite being a large absolute tonnage, are a minor share of the overall total.

How Much Is Recycled

The only recurring national measurement of shingle recycling comes from the asphalt-pavement industry, not from EPA. NAPA’s annual survey of asphalt mixture producers reports how much RAS the industry buys and uses. That survey is the single best gauge of the dominant recycling pathway, because most recycled shingles end up back in hot-mix or warm-mix asphalt pavement.

Year RAS used in pavement (tons) Year-over-year change
2009 701,000 baseline
2022 673,000 not reported
2023 797,000 +18%

Source: NAPA, “Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage: 2023” (IS-138). In 2023 producers received about 1.371 million tons of shingles but used only 797,000 tons, so more than half of the shingles entering the pavement supply chain that year were not used in mixtures and instead added to stockpiles, which stood at about 1.18 million tons at year-end. NAPA states directly that RAS remains underutilized relative to its potential, in contrast to RAP, which is reused at more than 99 percent.

Landfill vs. Recycle Split

EPA does not publish a shingle-specific landfill-versus-recycle split, so any split must be derived. For all C&D debris combined in 2018, about 76 percent went to next use and about 24 percent went to landfill (455 million tons next use of 600 million tons total). That aggregate ratio is dominated by concrete and asphalt pavement, which recycle at very high rates, and it does not describe shingles, which recycle far less. The derived shingle rate below shows why the headline C&D figure overstates how well shingles specifically are managed.

Original Synthesis

1. Estimated U.S. shingle recycling rate, 2023

Formula: RAS used in pavement in 2023, divided by estimated annual shingle scrap generation. Using NAPA’s 797,000 tons of RAS used (2023) over FHWA’s 11 million tons per year generation estimate gives about 7.2 percent. Using NAPA’s RAS use over EPA’s 13.5 million tons of 2015 shingle generation gives about 5.9 percent. The plausible range is therefore about 6 to 7 percent recycled into pavement, consistent with widely repeated secondary estimates that less than 10 percent of shingle scrap is recycled. Inputs: NAPA IS-138 (2023); FHWA-RD-97-148; U.S. EPA C&D Debris Generation 2015. Limitations: the numerator and denominator come from different years and different methods; the denominator is an estimate, not a measured count; and pavement is the dominant but not the only recycling outlet, so the true recycling rate across all outlets could be modestly higher. This estimate should be cited as approximate.

2. Tons of shingle waste landfilled per year (derived)

Formula: estimated annual generation minus RAS used in pavement, treating non-recycled tonnage as landfilled or otherwise discarded. Using 11 million tons generated (FHWA) minus 797,000 tons recycled (NAPA 2023) leaves about 10.2 million tons not recycled into pavement. Using the EPA 2015 generation figure of 13.5 million tons leaves about 12.7 million tons. So on the order of 10 to 13 million tons of shingle scrap per year are not returned to pavement. Inputs and limitations match Synthesis 1; a small fraction of the non-pavement tonnage goes to other uses such as cold patch, road base, or fuel, so this is an upper-bound estimate of landfilled tonnage.

3. Asphalt-binder value embedded in one year of tear-off shingles

Formula: annual shingle generation, times the asphalt content fraction, gives the tons of asphalt bound up in discarded shingles. Using 11 million tons generated (FHWA) times the FHWA-stated 25 to 35 percent asphalt content yields about 2.75 million to 3.85 million tons of asphalt locked in one year of shingle scrap. For scale, NAPA reports that using 797,000 tons of RAS in 2023 displaced about 159,000 tons of virgin asphalt binder, which implies a recovered-binder ratio near 20 percent of the RAS weight in practice. Applying that same 20 percent practical recovery to the full 11 million tons of annual scrap suggests roughly 2.2 million tons of binder could be recovered if all shingle scrap were processed and used, a figure that brackets the composition-based estimate. Inputs: FHWA-RD-97-148; NAPA IS-138 (2023). Limitations: composition share is a range, not all asphalt in a shingle is recoverable or specification-compliant, and binder displacement in practice is limited by state specifications and mix design, so this is a theoretical resource estimate, not an achievable target.

Why Shingle Recycling Stays Low

Three structural factors keep the recycling rate low, all visible in the verified data. First, supply outruns demand: producers received 1.371 million tons of shingles in 2023 but used only 797,000 tons, so the constraint is pavement demand and specification limits, not collection. Second, RAS competes with RAP, which is reused at more than 99 percent and is available at 96.1 million tons per year, roughly 120 times the RAS volume, so mixers can hit recycled-content targets with RAP alone. Third, state highway specifications cap or restrict RAS because of concerns about the stiffness of aged shingle binder, which is why NAPA reports RAS use fell from mid-2010s highs above 1.9 million tons.

Charts We Recommend

  • Shingle generation vs. RAS recycled, by year. Data needed: EPA shingle generation (2012 to 2015) and NAPA RAS use (2009 to 2023). Source: EPA C&D 2015 report, NAPA IS-138. Insight: the widening gap between what is generated and what is recycled. Citation-worthy because it visualizes the single-digit recycling rate.
  • Composition of C&D debris by material, 2015. Data needed: EPA Table 6 tonnages. Source: EPA C&D 2015. Insight: shingles are 2.5 percent of C&D by weight despite being 13.5 million tons. Useful for putting roofing in context.
  • RAS received vs. RAS used vs. stockpiled, 2023. Data needed: 1.371M received, 797K used, 1.18M stockpiled. Source: NAPA IS-138. Insight: demand, not collection, is the bottleneck.
  • Resource value of one year of shingle scrap. Data needed: 11M tons times 25 to 35 percent asphalt. Source: FHWA, NAPA. Insight: millions of tons of asphalt binder discarded annually. Strong for sustainability coverage.
  • RAS vs. RAP use, log scale. Data needed: 797K tons RAS vs. 96.1M tons RAP, 2023. Source: NAPA IS-138. Insight: why RAS is a rounding error in the recycled-asphalt market.

Methodology

Sources were selected in this priority order: U.S. federal datasets (EPA, FHWA) first, then the asphalt-pavement industry’s national survey (NAPA) and the roofing manufacturers’ association (ARMA). A figure was included only if it was confirmed against the original document retrieved during research. EPA’s per-material shingle breakout is available only through 2015, so that report is used for material composition and the 13.5 million ton shingle figure, while the 600 million ton total uses EPA’s 2018 Facts and Figures data; both reference years are labeled wherever cited. The FHWA 11 million ton estimate comes from a guidance document (FHWA-RD-97-148) that is older than the EPA model and is treated as an order-of-magnitude benchmark, not a current annual count. Where two sources disagreed (FHWA 11 million tons vs. EPA 13.5 million tons), both are shown with their years rather than averaged. Derived estimates in the Original Synthesis section state their formula, list every input source, and flag that numerator and denominator may come from different years and methods. No figure was carried from memory; each was re-confirmed from the retrieved source. Last updated: June 29, 2026.

Source Quality and Tiering

Tier 1 (primary government and federal datasets):

  • U.S. EPA, “Construction and Demolition Debris Generation in the United States, 2015” (Tables 2 and 6).
  • U.S. EPA, Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste and Recycling, C&D Debris (2018 data).
  • Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-97-148, “User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction” (older publication; benchmark only).

Tier 2 (official industry bodies and trade associations citing primary survey data):

  • National Asphalt Pavement Association, IS-138, “Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage: 2023.”
  • Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA), asphalt shingle recycling estimate (2024), based on the NAPA survey.

Most Quotable Statistics

  • “The United States generated about 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris in 2018, more than twice its municipal solid waste.” (U.S. EPA, 2018 data)
  • “Asphalt shingles accounted for an estimated 13.5 million tons of C&D debris generation in 2015.” (U.S. EPA, C&D 2015 report)
  • “Roughly 11 million tons of asphalt roofing shingle scrap are generated in the U.S. each year, and 90 to 95 percent of it comes from roof tear-offs.” (FHWA-RD-97-148)
  • “Asphalt mixture producers used an estimated 797,000 tons of recycled asphalt shingles in pavement in 2023, up 18 percent from 2022.” (NAPA IS-138, 2023)
  • “Producers received 1.37 million tons of shingles in 2023 but used only 797,000 tons, leaving about 1.18 million tons stockpiled.” (NAPA IS-138, 2023)
  • “On a generation-versus-use basis, only about 6 to 7 percent of U.S. shingle scrap is recycled into pavement.” (derived from NAPA 2023 and FHWA-RD-97-148)
  • “Recycling 797,000 tons of shingles in 2023 displaced 159,000 tons of asphalt binder and 398,000 tons of aggregate worth more than $109 million.” (NAPA IS-138, 2023)

Data Limitations

  • EPA’s last published per-material shingle breakout is for 2015; there is no official annual shingle tonnage series after that year.
  • The FHWA 11 million ton figure comes from an older guidance document and may not reflect current housing stock or roof-replacement rates; it is a benchmark, not a current count.
  • There is no single national measurement of shingle recycling. NAPA captures pavement use, the dominant pathway, but not every outlet (cold patch, road base, fuel, manufacturing reuse), so total recycling could be modestly higher than the pavement-only figure.
  • Derived recycling-rate and resource-value estimates combine inputs from different years and methods and are presented as approximate.
  • NAPA figures are survey-based estimates extrapolated from responding producers, not a census.
  • ARMA’s roof-count estimate depends on assumptions about roof size (2,000 square feet) and shingle weight (2.5 pounds per square foot) that vary in practice.

Recommended Downloadable Dataset Fields

  • year
  • shingle_generation_tons (with source and method)
  • total_cd_debris_tons
  • ras_used_in_pavement_tons
  • ras_received_tons
  • ras_stockpiled_tons
  • derived_recycling_rate_percent
  • binder_displaced_tons
  • aggregate_displaced_tons
  • estimated_value_usd
  • source_name
  • source_url
  • source_tier
  • confidence

Press Summary

The United States generates a large but poorly tracked stream of asphalt roofing waste. EPA’s most recent per-material data, for 2015, put asphalt shingle debris at 13.5 million tons, about 2.5 percent of the 548 million tons of construction and demolition debris that year. The Federal Highway Administration’s long-standing benchmark is roughly 11 million tons of shingle scrap a year, with 90 to 95 percent coming from roof tear-offs. Recycling remains the exception, not the rule. The asphalt-pavement industry, the main outlet for recycled shingles, used an estimated 797,000 tons of recycled asphalt shingles in 2023, up 18 percent from the prior year but still a fraction of what is generated. Comparing the two figures implies only about 6 to 7 percent of shingle scrap is recycled into pavement. Producers received nearly twice as much shingle material as they used in 2023, so the constraint is pavement demand and state specifications, not collection. One year of discarded shingles contains an estimated 2.7 to 3.9 million tons of asphalt binder, most of which is landfilled.

Five Headlines Journalists Can Use

  • U.S. Throws Away an Estimated 11 Million Tons of Roofing Shingles a Year. About 7 Percent Gets Recycled.
  • EPA Data: Asphalt Shingles Were 13.5 Million Tons of Construction Debris in 2015
  • Shingle Recycling Rose 18 Percent in 2023, But Stockpiles Show Demand Is the Bottleneck
  • One Year of Roof Tear-Offs Holds Nearly 3 Million Tons of Asphalt Binder, Mostly Landfilled
  • Recycled Roofing Shingles Are a Rounding Error Next to Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement

Frequently Asked Questions

How much roofing shingle waste does the U.S. generate each year?

FHWA estimates roughly 11 million tons (10 million metric tons) of asphalt roofing shingle scrap per year, while EPA’s 2015 materials-flow model put shingle C&D debris at 13.5 million tons that year (Sources: FHWA-RD-97-148; U.S. EPA, C&D Debris Generation 2015).

What share of shingle waste is recycled?

On a generation-versus-use basis, about 6 to 7 percent is recycled into pavement, derived from 797,000 tons of RAS used in 2023 against 11 to 13.5 million tons generated (Sources: NAPA IS-138, 2023; FHWA-RD-97-148; U.S. EPA 2015).

How much recycled asphalt shingle was used in pavement most recently?

An estimated 797,000 tons in the 2023 construction season, an 18 percent increase from 673,000 tons in 2022 (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).

Where do most recycled shingles go?

Into hot-mix and warm-mix asphalt pavement, the dominant outlet tracked by NAPA; smaller volumes go to cold patch, road base, and fuel (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023; ARMA, 2024).

How much total construction and demolition debris does the U.S. produce?

About 600 million tons in 2018, of which about 455 million tons went to next use and about 145 million tons to landfill (Source: U.S. EPA Facts and Figures, 2018 data).

What share of C&D debris is shingles?

About 2.5 percent by weight in 2015, at 13.5 million tons of 547.8 million tons total (Source: U.S. EPA, C&D Debris Generation 2015, Table 6).

Why is so little shingle waste recycled?

Demand and state specifications limit use: producers received 1.37 million tons of shingles in 2023 but used only 797,000 tons, and RAS competes with RAP, which is used at 96.1 million tons per year (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).

How much asphalt is in a shingle?

About 25 to 35 percent by weight, with 60 to 70 percent mineral material and 5 to 15 percent felt backing (Source: FHWA-RD-97-148).

How much asphalt binder does recycling shingles actually save?

Using 797,000 tons of RAS in 2023 displaced an estimated 159,000 tons of asphalt binder and 398,000 tons of aggregate, worth more than $109 million (Source: NAPA IS-138, 2023).

How many roofs does the recycled shingle volume represent?

ARMA estimates the equivalent of about 256,400 residential roofs were recycled into asphalt pavement in 2024 (Source: ARMA, 2024 estimate, based on NAPA data).

Cite This Research

The Roofing Brief, “Roofing and Shingle Waste and Recycling Report,” 2026, https://theroofingbrief.com/roofing-shingle-waste-recycling-report/

Embed or use this with credit: “According to The Roofing Brief’s 2026 Roofing and Shingle Waste and Recycling Report, the U.S. recycles only about 6 to 7 percent of an estimated 11 to 13.5 million tons of asphalt shingle waste generated each year.”

Sources

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Construction and Demolition Debris Generation in the United States, 2015,” 2018. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-09/documents/construction_and_demolition_debris_generation_in_the_united_states_2015_final.pdf
  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Construction and Demolition Debris: Material-Specific Data” (Facts and Figures, 2018 data), accessed 2026. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/construction-and-demolition-debris-material
  3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Sustainable Management of Construction and Demolition Materials,” accessed 2026. https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-management-construction-and-demolition-materials
  4. Federal Highway Administration, “Roofing Shingle Scrap, Material Description,” User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction, FHWA-RD-97-148. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/97148/055.cfm
  5. National Asphalt Pavement Association, “Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage: 2023” (IS-138), 2024. https://40089522.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/40089522/IS138-2023_RAP-RAS-WMA_Survey.pdf
  6. National Asphalt Pavement Association, “NAPA publishes latest recycling, WMA survey results,” 2024. https://napanow.org/2024/05/13/napa-publishes-latest-recycling-wma-survey-results/
  7. Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, “Asphalt Shingle Recycling,” accessed 2026. https://www.asphaltroofing.org/asphalt-shingle-recycling-2/