Every year the United States tears roughly 11 million tons of old asphalt shingles off its roofs. A small and shrinking share of that material is ground up and paved back into the nation’s roads as recycled asphalt shingles (RAS). This report quantifies how much roofing waste becomes pavement, how much liquid asphalt binder is locked inside discarded shingles, why state highway agencies have pulled back on RAS, and what the diverted tonnage is worth. All figures trace to federal agencies, the asphalt-pavement industry survey, and roofing-manufacturer data. Figures we derived are labeled as Roofing Brief calculations.
Executive Summary
- The United States generates about 11 million tons of waste asphalt roofing shingles each year, roughly 10 million tons from residential tear-offs and about 1 million tons from manufacturing scrap (Federal Highway Administration).
- Discarded shingles are 25 to 35 percent asphalt cement by weight, which is why the roofing waste stream holds more than 2 million tons of liquid asphalt binder, enough to replace almost 9 percent of the national binder need for paving (Federal Highway Administration).
- RAS use in road pavement is small and has been declining since a mid-2010s peak. The asphalt industry used an estimated 921,000 tons of RAS in mixtures in 2019, down 12.5 percent year over year (National Asphalt Pavement Association).
- The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association estimates the equivalent of about 256,400 residential roofs were recycled into pavement in 2024. That works out to roughly 641,000 tons, or about 6.4 percent of the annual tear-off stream (Roofing Brief calculation on ARMA and NAPA data).
- At least 14 states cap RAS at 5 percent by weight of the total asphalt mixture, and a growing number of state highway agencies have tightened limits after linking high-RAS pavements to premature cracking (Federal Highway Administration).
- Landfilling the roughly 10 million tons of tear-off shingles the country does not recycle would cost on the order of $623 million a year in tipping fees at the 2024 national average of $62.28 per ton (Roofing Brief calculation on EREF data).
- Construction and demolition debris, the broader waste category that includes shingles, totaled about 600 million tons in the United States in 2018, of which roughly 145 million tons went to landfills (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
Key Findings
- About 11 million tons of asphalt roofing shingle scrap is generated in the United States each year, split roughly 90 to 95 percent residential tear-offs and 5 to 10 percent manufacturing tabs. Source: Federal Highway Administration, User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction (FHWA-RD-97-148).
- Waste shingles are 25 to 35 percent asphalt cement, 60 to 70 percent granular material, and 5 to 15 percent backing felt by weight. Source: Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-97-148, Table 15-1.
- The shingle waste stream contains more than 2 million tons of liquid asphalt binder, equal to almost 9 percent of the national binder requirement for pavement. Source: Federal Highway Administration, Recycled Asphalt Shingles memorandum, 2011.
- At least 14 states set a maximum RAS content of up to 5 percent by weight of the total asphalt paving mixture. Source: Federal Highway Administration, Recycled Asphalt Shingles memorandum.
- At a 5 percent RAS content, shingles can replace as much as an additional 25 percent of the total asphalt binder in a mix. Source: Federal Highway Administration, Recycled Asphalt Shingles memorandum.
- AASHTO standard PP 78-14 limits the RAS asphalt-binder availability factor to a range of 0.70 to 0.85, reflecting that not all of the aged binder in shingles is usable. Source: Federal Highway Administration, Recycled Asphalt Shingles memorandum.
- An increasing number of state departments of transportation reported premature cracking in relatively new asphalt pavements that used RAS to replace a large share of the binder. Source: Federal Highway Administration, Recycled Asphalt Shingles memorandum.
- The asphalt industry used an estimated 921,000 tons of RAS in asphalt mixtures in 2019, a 12.5 percent decrease from 2018. Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey (IS-138), 2019.
- RAS used in 2019 reduced the need for 184,200 tons of asphalt binder and about 460,000 tons of aggregate, valued together at more than $103 million. Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, IS-138, 2019.
- Processing 611,000 tons of unprocessed RAS in 2019 conserved roughly 370,000 cubic yards of landfill capacity and saved more than $33 million in disposal gate fees. Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, IS-138, 2019.
- RAS stockpiled nationwide totaled about 1.44 million tons at the end of the 2024 construction season, a 22.5 percent increase over 2023. Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, IS-138, 2024.
- The equivalent of about 256,400 residential roofs was recycled into asphalt pavement in 2024, based on 2.5 pounds of shingles per square foot and a 2,000-square-foot average roof. Source: Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, using 2024 NAPA survey data.
- By contrast, the industry reused more than 101 million tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in 2024, returning over 99 percent of old road asphalt to use, far outpacing shingle recycling. Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, IS-138, 2024.
- Construction and demolition debris totaled about 600 million tons in the United States in 2018, with roughly 145 million tons landfilled and 455 million tons directed to next use. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Advancing Sustainable Materials Management, 2018.
- The national average landfill tipping fee reached $62.28 per ton in 2024, up about 10 percent from 2023, raising the cost of disposing shingle waste. Source: Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF), 2024 Analysis of MSW Landfill Tipping Fees.
How Much Roofing Waste America Produces
The starting number for this entire topic comes from the Federal Highway Administration. Its user-guideline series states that approximately 10 million metric tons, or about 11 million tons, of asphalt roofing shingle scrap is generated in the United States each year. Between 90 and 95 percent is post-consumer tear-off material from roof replacement, and 5 to 10 percent is post-industrial scrap left over from shingle manufacturing (Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-97-148).
Shingles are a concentrated source of asphalt. By weight, waste shingles are 25 to 35 percent asphalt cement, 60 to 70 percent granular material such as ceramic surfacing granules and stabilizer sand, and 5 to 15 percent cellulose or glass backing felt (Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-97-148, Table 15-1). That asphalt fraction is the reason the material is valuable to road builders: the aged binder in shingles can partially substitute for the virgin liquid asphalt that is one of the most expensive inputs in a paving mix.
Shingles sit inside the much larger construction and demolition (C&D) waste stream. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 600 million tons of C&D debris were generated in 2018, of which about 455 million tons were directed to next use and just under 145 million tons were landfilled (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018). The asphalt-pavement trade press has estimated that discarded shingles represent about 8 percent of the nation’s building-related waste (Asphalt magazine).
How Much Actually Becomes Pavement
The gap between what is generated and what is recycled is the core of this story. Recycled asphalt shingles are ground to particles ranging from one-quarter inch to two inches and blended into hot-mix asphalt, stone-matrix asphalt, and cold patch. Five percent by weight of the mix is a typical application rate (Asphalt magazine; Federal Highway Administration).
National use is measured by the annual Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey, run by the National Asphalt Pavement Association in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. That survey shows RAS is a small and volatile stream. The industry used an estimated 921,000 tons of RAS in asphalt mixtures in 2019, a 12.5 percent decline from the year before (National Asphalt Pavement Association, 2019). The same survey reported that RAS stockpiled nationwide grew to about 1.44 million tons at the end of the 2024 construction season, up 22.5 percent from 2023 (National Asphalt Pavement Association, 2024). Growing stockpiles alongside soft placement volumes indicate that shingle material is being collected faster than road agencies are willing to use it.
The contrast with reclaimed asphalt pavement is stark. In 2024 the industry reused more than 101 million tons of RAP, returning over 99 percent of old road asphalt to productive use (National Asphalt Pavement Association, 2024). Recycled shingles are a rounding error next to recycled roads.
Why State Highway Agencies Pulled Back
RAS adoption is capped by engineering caution. At least 14 states set a maximum RAS content of up to 5 percent by weight of the total asphalt mixture, and most pair that with additional limits, such as lower percentages in surface layers, traffic-level restrictions, and adjustments to how much of the shingle binder is assumed to be usable (Federal Highway Administration). AASHTO standard PP 78-14 caps the RAS binder availability factor between 0.70 and 0.85, meaning up to 30 percent of the aged shingle binder is treated as unavailable (Federal Highway Administration).
The reason is performance. An increasing number of state departments of transportation reported premature cracking in relatively new asphalt pavements, and a common feature was the use of RAS to replace a large portion of the binder (Federal Highway Administration). The aged, oxidized, stiff binder in tear-off shingles can make a pavement brittle if too much virgin binder is displaced. Several states also distinguish between cleaner manufacturing tabs and post-consumer tear-off shingles, and some permit only the former.
State practice varies. Georgia modified specifications to allow 5 percent factory scrap and tear-off shingles in the total mix; Missouri planned to use 48,000 tons of shingles on state road work in 2011; and Minnesota conducted field tests on trails and county roads (Asphalt magazine). These programs demonstrate that RAS is permitted in many states, but within tight ceilings that limit total tonnage.
The Economics of Diversion
Two costs drive shingle recycling: avoided landfill fees and displaced virgin binder. Landfill tipping fees reached a national average of $62.28 per ton in 2024, up about 10 percent from $56.80 in 2023 (Environmental Research and Education Foundation). Liquid asphalt binder is one of the priciest paving inputs, which is why recovering even part of it matters.
The NAPA survey put concrete numbers on the 2019 season: RAS use reduced the need for 184,200 tons of asphalt binder and roughly 460,000 tons of aggregate, together worth more than $103 million, while processing 611,000 tons of unprocessed shingles saved more than $33 million in landfill gate fees and conserved about 370,000 cubic yards of landfill space (National Asphalt Pavement Association, 2019).
Original Synthesis (Roofing Brief Calculations)
The following figures are derived by The Roofing Brief from the cited public datasets. They are original calculations, not published statistics, and each carries the stated limitations.
1. Binder locked in America’s discarded shingles
Roofing Brief calculation: 11 million tons of annual shingle waste multiplied by the 25 to 35 percent asphalt-cement content range gives roughly 2.75 million to 3.85 million tons of asphalt binder embedded in discarded shingles each year, with a midpoint near 3.3 million tons. Inputs: FHWA generation figure (11 million tons) and FHWA composition range (25 to 35 percent asphalt cement), both from FHWA-RD-97-148. Limitation: this is gross embedded binder. The FHWA memorandum notes that more than 2 million tons is realistically available for paving, because AASHTO PP 78-14 treats 15 to 30 percent of aged shingle binder as unusable. The lower “available” figure and our higher “embedded” figure are consistent once recovery losses are applied.
2. The shingle-to-pavement recycling rate
Roofing Brief calculation: ARMA’s estimate of 256,400 residential roofs recycled in 2024, using its own assumption of 2.5 pounds per square foot across a 2,000-square-foot roof (2.5 tons per roof), implies about 641,000 tons of shingles recycled into pavement in 2024. Divided by the roughly 10 million tons of tear-off shingles generated annually, that is a recycling-into-pavement rate of about 6.4 percent. Inputs: ARMA roof-count estimate and per-roof weight assumption; FHWA tear-off generation figure. Limitation: the roof count is itself an industry estimate, the 11-million-ton generation figure predates 2024, and placement and stockpiling are tracked separately, so the true rate could be somewhat higher or lower. The result is consistent with widely repeated statements that under 10 percent of shingle waste is recycled.
3. The landfill bill for shingles America does not recycle
Roofing Brief calculation: Landfilling the roughly 10 million tons of tear-off shingles at the 2024 national average tipping fee of $62.28 per ton implies about $623 million a year in disposal fees. Diverting the roughly 641,000 tons recycled in 2024 avoided about $40 million of that at the same rate. Inputs: FHWA tear-off generation figure; EREF 2024 tipping-fee average; the recycled-tonnage figure from calculation 2. Limitation: tipping fees vary widely by state and by waste type, some shingles go to construction-and-demolition landfills with different rates, and hauling costs are excluded. The $40 million avoided-fee estimate is directionally consistent with NAPA’s reported $33 million in gate-fee savings on 611,000 tons in 2019, which implies about $54 per ton.
4. Reconstructing the mid-2010s RAS peak
Roofing Brief calculation: NAPA reported that 2019 RAS use of 921,000 tons was roughly 53 percent below the 2014 peak. Working backward, that places the 2014 peak near 1.96 million tons of RAS used in mixtures. Inputs: NAPA 2019 tonnage and its stated percentage decline from peak. Limitation: the “roughly 53 percent” figure is approximate, so the reconstructed peak is an estimate, not a reported value. It illustrates that annual RAS use has more than halved from its high point.
Data Tables
Table 1. Composition of waste asphalt shingles by weight
| Component | Share by weight | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Asphalt cement | 25 to 35 percent | Recoverable binder for paving |
| Granular material | 60 to 70 percent | Surfacing granules, stabilizer sand (fine aggregate) |
| Backing felt | 5 to 15 percent | Cellulose or glass fiber mat |
Source: Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-RD-97-148, Table 15-1.
Table 2. RAS use and stockpiles, selected survey years
| Metric | 2019 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| RAS used in mixtures | 921,000 tons (down 12.5 percent) | Not separately reported here |
| RAS stockpiled, end of season | ~1.14 million tons | ~1.44 million tons (up 22.5 percent) |
| Residential roofs recycled (equivalent) | Not reported | ~256,400 roofs |
| RAP reused (for scale) | 89.2 million tons | 101+ million tons |
Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey (IS-138), 2019 and 2024; Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association.
Table 3. The waste-to-value chain, annual United States
| Stage | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shingle scrap generated | ~11 million tons/year | FHWA |
| Tear-off share | 90 to 95 percent | FHWA |
| Asphalt binder embedded (calc) | ~2.75 to 3.85 million tons/year | Roofing Brief calculation |
| Binder realistically available | >2 million tons/year (~9 percent of national need) | FHWA |
| Roofs recycled into pavement | ~256,400 roofs (2024) | ARMA |
| Recycling-into-pavement rate (calc) | ~6.4 percent of tear-off | Roofing Brief calculation |
| Landfill cost if disposed (calc) | ~$623 million/year at $62.28/ton | Roofing Brief calculation |
Recommended Charts
- RAS used vs stockpiled over time. Data: annual NAPA IS-138 RAS tonnage and end-of-season stockpiles. Source: NAPA. Insight: placement has fallen while stockpiles rise. Citation-worthy because it visualizes the recycling bottleneck in one frame.
- The recovery gap. Data: 11 million tons generated vs roughly 641,000 tons recycled into pavement (2024). Source: FHWA and ARMA. Insight: the vast majority is still landfilled. Citation-worthy as a single-glance measure of untapped potential.
- Shingle waste vs the binder inside it. Data: 11 million tons shingles and 2 to 3.3 million tons embedded binder. Source: FHWA and Roofing Brief calculation. Insight: shingles are a distributed asphalt reserve.
- RAS vs RAP recycling, 2024. Data: ~0.6 to 1.4 million tons RAS vs 101 million tons RAP. Source: NAPA. Insight: roads recycle almost completely; shingles barely at all.
- Tipping-fee trend. Data: national average tipping fee 2022 to 2024. Source: EREF. Insight: rising disposal costs strengthen the case for diversion.
Methodology
Sources were selected in a strict hierarchy. Federal agency data (Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and the joint NAPA and FHWA industry survey were treated as primary. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association was used for the roofs-recycled estimate, since it publishes the methodology behind it. Landfill economics came from the Environmental Research and Education Foundation. Trade-press articles were used only for context and only where they cited primary figures.
Inclusion rules: a statistic was included only if it had a clear source, a year, and a defined geography, and only if it was fetched and verified during this analysis. Conflicting figures were reconciled toward the primary source. Where sources reported ranges, the full range is shown rather than a single point. Every figure we derived is labeled as a Roofing Brief calculation with its inputs and limitations. Any statistic that could not be verified from a fetched source was excluded, including the commonly repeated claim that a specific single-digit percentage of shingles is recycled, which we present instead as our own calculation. Last updated July 2026.
Source Quality Ranking
- Tier 1 (primary): Federal Highway Administration user guidelines and RAS memorandum; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Advancing Sustainable Materials Management; National Asphalt Pavement Association and FHWA Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey (IS-138); AASHTO standard PP 78-14.
- Tier 2 (credible industry and research bodies): Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association; Environmental Research and Education Foundation tipping-fee analysis.
- Tier 3 (trade press and expert commentary, context only): Asphalt magazine and Construction and Demolition Recycling reporting on the NAPA surveys.
- Excluded: unsourced roundup blogs, marketing pages, and any figure without a verifiable primary origin, including uncited recycling-rate percentages.
Citation Format
- Source: U.S. Federal Highway Administration, User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction, FHWA-RD-97-148, Roofing Shingle Scrap.
- Source: U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Recycled Asphalt Shingles Memorandum, 2011.
- Source: National Asphalt Pavement Association, Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage (IS-138), 2019 and 2024.
- Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Construction and Demolition Debris, 2018.
- Source: Environmental Research and Education Foundation, Analysis of MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2024.
- Source: Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, Asphalt Shingle Recycling, 2024.
Journalist-Friendly Additions
Most quotable statistics
- The United States tears about 11 million tons of asphalt shingles off its roofs every year, and roughly 90 to 95 percent of that is residential tear-off waste (FHWA).
- Discarded shingles hold more than 2 million tons of liquid asphalt binder, enough to cover almost 9 percent of the nation’s paving binder need (FHWA).
- Only about 6.4 percent of tear-off shingles were recycled into pavement in 2024 (Roofing Brief calculation on ARMA and FHWA data).
- The country recycles over 99 percent of its old roads but only a low single-digit share of its old roofs (NAPA).
- Landfilling America’s unrecycled tear-off shingles costs on the order of $623 million a year in tipping fees alone (Roofing Brief calculation on EREF data).
Data limitations
The 11-million-ton generation figure is a long-standing federal estimate and is not updated annually. RAS placement and stockpile figures come from a voluntary industry survey and are estimates. The recycling rate and landfill-cost figures are Roofing Brief calculations built on those inputs and should be cited as such. Tipping fees vary widely by state and waste type. Shingle asphalt content is a range, not a fixed value.
Downloadable dataset recommended fields
- Year
- Shingle scrap generated (tons)
- Tear-off share (percent)
- RAS used in mixtures (tons)
- RAS stockpiled end of season (tons)
- Asphalt binder displaced (tons)
- Aggregate displaced (tons)
- Estimated roofs recycled
- State RAS cap (percent by weight)
- National average tipping fee ($/ton)
- Source and citation
Press summary (about 150 words)
The United States generates roughly 11 million tons of waste asphalt shingles a year, almost all of it from residential roof replacement. Those shingles are 25 to 35 percent asphalt cement, so the roofing waste stream holds more than 2 million tons of liquid asphalt binder, enough to replace close to 9 percent of the nation’s paving binder need, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Yet only a small fraction becomes road. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association estimates the equivalent of about 256,400 roofs were recycled into pavement in 2024, which The Roofing Brief calculates at roughly 6.4 percent of the tear-off stream. Use has fallen since a mid-2010s peak after several state highway agencies linked high recycled-shingle content to premature cracking; at least 14 states now cap it at 5 percent of a mix. Landfilling the rest costs an estimated $623 million a year in tipping fees.
Suggested headlines
- America Recycles 99 Percent of Its Old Roads and Almost None of Its Old Roofs
- The 2 Million Tons of Road-Grade Asphalt Hiding in America’s Trash Roofs
- Why 14 States Put a 5 Percent Ceiling on Shingles in Their Pavement
- Only 6 Percent of America’s Torn-Off Shingles Become Road
- The $623 Million Landfill Bill for the Shingles We Throw Away
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tons of asphalt shingles does the US throw away each year? About 11 million tons of asphalt roofing shingle scrap is generated in the United States each year, roughly 90 to 95 percent from residential tear-offs, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
What are recycled asphalt shingles (RAS)? RAS is ground-up waste shingle material, from either tear-offs or manufacturing scrap, blended into asphalt pavement to partially replace virgin binder and aggregate. Particles are typically ground between one-quarter inch and two inches (Federal Highway Administration).
How much of America’s shingle waste becomes pavement? A low single-digit share. The Roofing Brief calculates about 6.4 percent of tear-off shingles were recycled into pavement in 2024, based on the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association estimate of 256,400 roofs recycled and the FHWA tear-off generation figure.
How much asphalt binder is inside discarded shingles? Shingles are 25 to 35 percent asphalt cement by weight, and the FHWA estimates the waste stream holds more than 2 million tons of usable liquid binder, close to 9 percent of national paving binder need.
How much RAS can go into a road? At least 14 states cap RAS at 5 percent by weight of the total asphalt mixture, and 5 percent by weight is a typical application rate (Federal Highway Administration).
Why did states limit recycled shingles in pavement? A growing number of state departments of transportation reported premature cracking in newer pavements that used RAS to replace a large share of the binder, prompting tighter caps and binder-availability adjustments (Federal Highway Administration).
Is recycled-shingle use growing or shrinking? Shrinking from its peak. The industry used an estimated 921,000 tons of RAS in 2019, down 12.5 percent year over year, while stockpiles grew to about 1.44 million tons by the end of 2024 (National Asphalt Pavement Association).
How does shingle recycling compare with road recycling? The asphalt industry reused more than 101 million tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement in 2024, over 99 percent of old road asphalt, far more than the small volume of recycled shingles (National Asphalt Pavement Association).
What is the difference between tear-off and manufacturer shingle scrap? Tear-off (post-consumer) shingles come off existing roofs and carry aged, oxidized binder, while manufacturer scrap (post-industrial tabs) is cleaner and more consistent. Some states allow only manufacturer scrap in pavement (Federal Highway Administration).
What does it cost to landfill shingle waste? The national average landfill tipping fee was $62.28 per ton in 2024, up about 10 percent from 2023. The Roofing Brief estimates landfilling the roughly 10 million tons of unrecycled tear-off shingles costs on the order of $623 million a year (Environmental Research and Education Foundation; Roofing Brief calculation).
Related Roofing Brief Research
- Roofing Embodied Carbon: A Cradle-to-Grave Lifecycle Breakdown by Material
- Asphalt Shingle Roof Runoff Pollution: Granules, PAHs, and Metals in Stormwater
- How Often Do Americans Replace Their Roof? Replacement Frequency Report
- US Housing Stock Roof Age and Material Report
- America’s Impervious Roof Area: Roofs, Stormwater Runoff, and Fees
Reviewed by The Roofing Brief Team. Last reviewed July 2026.