FEATURE STORY
Aggregate, Concrete and Asphalt Producers Lead in Recycling Charley Rea, Director of Communications, Safety & Technical Services, CalCIMA
Photo provided by North American Recycling and Crushing
Above: North American Recycling and Crushing recycling concrete and asphalt at their Anaheim recycle site.
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ate last year, the U.S. EPA commenced a new National Recycling Strategy. There is no better time than now for California to follow and make a renewed commitment to recycling. It only makes sense – it reduces materials in the landfills, conserves natural resources, reduces greenhouse gases, and often saves money! CalCIMA’s members have led the way in the recycling of aggregates, concrete and asphalt, all of which are common construction materials. The
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National Recycling Strategy emphasizes the achievement of a circular economy, one where materials can be reused again and again. Fortunately, in the recycling of concrete and asphalt there are many procedures and practices already well established. But the 1 million tons of concrete, asphalt and roofing shingles that go to California landfills speak to the need to do more. "Recycled pavement is stronger, more durable and less expensive to produce than new pavement which saves the end-user money. More
importantly, recycling construction materials is simply the right thing to do for the environment," says Aaron Waddell, Account Manager, North American Recycling and Crushing. The focus on recycling is particularly important in California where we have new infusion of funding for public works from SB 1, The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and the recently approved federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Recycling can help extend the value of those infrastructure The Conveyor • 2022 Winter Issue
