How to Recycle Asphalt
Hot-mix asphalt from roads, lots, and driveways. EPA estimated about 107 million tons of C&D asphalt concrete in 2018, with about 102 million tons directed to next use. Clean millings are the preferred feedstock. RAP is not RAS.
Quick answer
Asphalt pavement is widely recycled as RAP (reclaimed asphalt pavement). Haul clean millings or chunks to an asphalt plant or C&D recycler. This is not the same as shingle RAS recycling. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
- Typical value
- Clean millings often have positive value to plants or sell as driveway rock. Contaminated loads pay tip fees.
- Donate / take-back
- Available
How to Prepare
- 1Keep asphalt separate from concrete whenever you can.
- 2Remove dirt, vegetation, and trash from millings piles.
- 3Break large slabs only as needed for transport.
- 4Tell the plant if coal-tar sealers were used (older lots).
- 5Store millings on a hard surface so they do not pick up soil.
- 6Call ahead; homeowner driveway chunks are not always accepted without an account.
Where to Recycle
- Hot-mix asphalt plants
- Paving contractors with RAP inventory
- C&D recyclers that crush asphalt
- Municipal public-works yards
Special Instructions
RAP is pavement. RAS is roofing shingles. Do not assume a RAP plant wants roof tear-offs. Coal-tar-based sealers on older lots can carry PAHs and may need different handling than asphalt-emulsion sealers. Hot asphalt must cool before stockpiling at most sites. Asphalt pavement is not hazardous waste by default.
Environmental Impact
EPA 2018: about 107 million tons generated; about 102.1 million tons next use (mostly manufactured products) and about 4.9 million tons landfilled, among the highest recovery shares in C&D. NAPA industry surveys report about 101.4 million tons of RAP put back into use in the 2024 paving season and rising average RAP content in mixes over the past decade. Those NAPA figures are industry survey metrics for pavement RAP, not EPA Facts and Figures and not a claim about shingles or whole C&D.
Sustainable Alternatives
- On-site reuse of millings as driveway or base material where codes allow
- Cold in-place recycling on road projects
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Accepted
- Asphalt millings from resurfacing
- Clean asphalt chunks from demolition
- Cold-patch and loose asphalt scrap (confirm locally)
Not Accepted
- Asphalt heavily mixed with concrete
- Loads full of dirt and roots
- Roofing shingles unless the plant explicitly takes RAS
- Petroleum-contaminated soil sold as asphalt
Donation & Take‑Back Options
Estimated value: Clean millings often have positive value to plants or sell as driveway rock. Contaminated loads pay tip fees.
Manufacturer/Retail Take‑Back
Hazardous Components
- PAHs associated with some older coal-tar sealers
- Dust during milling and crushing
- Heat hazards when handling freshly placed mix
FAQs
What is RAP?
Reclaimed asphalt pavement: milled or broken road mix that is processed back into new asphalt or used as base. It is standard practice at many plants and is not the same as recycled asphalt shingles (RAS).
Can I bring roofing shingles to the same plant?
Only if they run a RAS program. Many RAP facilities reject shingles because of granules, mat, and nails. See the asphalt-shingles page for tear-off rules.
How much RAP goes into new pavement?
It depends on the agency mix design. NAPA survey summaries have put average RAP content around the low-to-mid 20 percent range in recent years, up from roughly 15.6 percent in 2009, but surface and base courses differ. The plant and the DOT spec decide, not the homeowner.
Are driveway millings OK to reuse at home?
Often yes as a driveway topper or base where local codes allow. Keep them off wetlands and storm drains, and expect them to soften in hot weather. Call the plant before assuming they will take your chunks.
Why separate asphalt from concrete?
Crushers and plants price and process them differently. Mixed loads may be rejected or billed as dirty C&D.
Is asphalt hazardous waste?
Standard asphalt pavement is not hazardous waste by default. Older coal-tar sealers can raise PAH concerns; tell the plant if you know coal tar was used.
Related recycling guides
Recycle asphalt
Search recycling centers by city or ZIP, or explore more construction materials.