Can asphalt pavement be recycled?
Yes! Asphalt pavement is 100 percent recyclable and can be made to perform better the second or even third time around. In fact, it is the most recycled product in the United States, both in terms of tonnage (73 million tons, more than any other material) and in terms of percentage (80 percent of reclaimed asphalt pavement is recycled, a higher percentage than any other substance). That compares to significantly lower percentages for aluminum cans, newsprint, plastic and glass beverage containers, and magazines. Asphalt roads are removed, recrushed, mixed with additional aggregate and fresh asphalt cement, remixed and placed back on the road. The hot mix asphalt industry also uses the following recycled materials: slag from the steel-making process, roofing shingles, sand from metal-casting foundries, and rubber from old tires. • In a joint report to Congress, the Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that more than 73 million tons of asphalt
