Michigan residents may be surprised to hear that the latest survey from the National Asphalt Paving Association (NAPA) found a wide array of recycled materials that were used to make asphalt pavements across the country. In this blog, we’ll highlight some of these findings and also explain why using recycled materials is beneficial for the environment.

Interesting Stats Surrounding Recycled Asphalt Materials

 Below are just a few key stats that may be interesting to Michigan residents as it relates to recycled asphalt materials. These stats are from the National Asphalt Paving Association (NAPA).

• Just over 4 million scrap tires were used to make rubberized asphalt pavement.
• Reusing old asphalt saves about 13,500 Olympic sized pools worth of landfill capacity.
• Roughly 1.9 million tons of shingles were used in new pavement mixes and other road building projects.
• 72 million tons of old paving materials were used in new pavement mixes and other road building projects.
• At least 99% of all material removed from old paving projects is put to use in new pavements resulting in more than 2.8 billion dollars worth of savings.

To browse these and other interesting stats related to asphalt sustainability in Michigan and across the country, be sure to check out this infographic from NAPA.

Why is Asphalt Sustainability So Important In Michigan?

As is the case in most industries, recyclable materials are in high demand for a number of reasons and this is no different with asphalt. Organizations are looking for ways to not only reduce their carbon footprint, but also to save money at the same time. Asphalt contractors in Michigan were some of the first organizations to leverage the power of recyclable materials and this can be seen in the interesting statistics that we featured above from NAPA.

By using recycled asphalt, contractors like Michigan Paving & Materials Co. are able to significantly reduce the amount of waste that goes into our local landfills, which helps to reduce our dependence on outside contractors to manage our state’s overextended landfill facilities.

Reach Out To Michigan Paving & Materials Co. To Learn More About Our Recycling Efforts

 Because of the fact that we not only pave and maintain asphalt, but we also produce it as well, we’re able to ensure we’re recycling as much, if not all of the asphalt that we remove at the various sites around Michigan where we perform jobs. Should you have any questions about our process, or the unique way that we do business, feel free to reach out to our team today.