Environmental Impact & Sustainability

Thanks to a growing number of factors–the growing emphasis on environmentally responsible building practices, the employment of increasingly sophisticated criteria for financing of construction projects, and more government regulations of public construction–the concept of life cycle assessment (LCA) has grown… Read More

Recycling of EPDM reached a significant milestone at the beginning of 2010. Nearly 5,000,000 sq ft of post-consumer EPDM roof membrane have been recycled in the past three years. EPDM is now the leading recycled commercial roof membrane material in… Read More

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates 40 percent of total landfill waste comes from construction and demolition debris–one-quarter of which is generated by roofing materials.

Recycling has entered a number of construction sectors during the past decade, and the roofing industry is certainly on of them. Most construction sectors have taken the first step and developed a way to recycle materials. But the real test… Read More

“This study provides an overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as applied to selected low slope roofing systems used widely throughout North America. LCA is a scientific approach to evaluating the environmental impact of a product or system throughout its… Read More

In just a few short years, recycling EPDM roof membrane has transformed from a nascent concept full of potential into a cost-efficient, environmentally sound reality that is being embraced by roofing professionals on tear-off re-roof projects across the United States… Read More

What material can support a vehicle going 120 mph through a steaming desert and still be flexible at -45 degrees C. (-49 degrees F.)? For roofing applications, materials must also have a high degree of weatherability – especially resistance to… Read More

“LCA is a better measure of a products “cradle to grave” and true long term economic and environmental than traditional Life Cycle Costing (LCC).”

With energy savings and sustainability becoming crucial components of a modern roof system, the ability to recycle roofing products is growing in importance. During the past 18 months, the EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) Roofing Association (ERA) has been conducting… Read More