Coffee Conversations - Where Roofs go to Rest

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

Why old roofing shingles should never end up in the dump and how to differentiate your business with sustainable initiatives. 

Season 3, Episode 4 of Coffee Conversations is sponsored by Owens Corning and is all about roof recycling. Join Molly Quinn, Jim Trost, Courtney Rice and Mark Leo as they discuss the Roof to Roads initiative, among many other forward-thinking sustainability plans. In this episode, Owens Corning is looking to update the industry by sharing strategies for contractors interested in incorporating sustainable practices into their business. 

Jim Trost is the executive vice president for Gallagher Asphalt, one of the major paving contractors in the Chicago area. They operate four asphalt plants in Chicago and have been recycling asphalt shingles for several years alongside Owens Corning. 

After being in the asphalt industry for over 10 years, Courtney Rice now works with a specialty paving team at Owens Corning, “We've done some work with recycled shingles, not just manufactured waste but also post-consumer tear-offs,” said Courtney. 

Molly Quinn works as a sales leader for Owens Corning in their roofing division, where she sells roofing products. She also does her best to help Owens Corning contractors develop and grow their businesses, which includes informing them on important industry trends.  

“In this case that trend is sustainability,” said Molly. “Also, because sustainability is so important at OC and Mark Leo is the leader of that Circular Economy team, so I think it's pretty awesome that OC has roles created just for folks to think about nothing but sustainability.” 

Mark is a director within the Corporate Sustainability Group, and specifically he is responsible for a circular economy team. Owen’s Corning has been committed to sustainability for years, and is regarded as a leader in sustainability in the industry. One of their most ambitious goals is a zero waste to landfill commitment, to be achieved by 2030.  

"Unfortunately, pretty much 100% of [asphalt waste] goes into the landfill. Most of the building materials at the end of the life go to landfill. We're not okay with that,” said Mark. “This is what this team is all about, we're trying to find solutions for that.” 

Owens Corning was the first company to launch a shingle recycling program where they ask their contractors to make a pledge to recycle shingles whenever possible. They also work with a third party, Earth911 that helps contractors connect with shingle recyclers.  

"Our whole shingle recycling program, on the roofing side, it's all about encouraging contractors to recycle while helping to connect them to resources, so that they can,” said Molly. “Look, the demand for sustainable products is up. Everybody knows that [it’s] not going to slow down. Millennials own the most homes [and] Gen Zs are going to be buying homes soon and they are absolutely going to demand sustainable products. So, for our folks to stay ahead they need to be able to have that story.” 

Read, Listen or Watch the entire Coffee Conversations to learn more about roof recycling opportunities.