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Environmental Resources

GOOD NEIGHBORS

WORKING WITH REGULATORS

Asphalt mix plants are often family operated by the 3rd and 4th generations of owners who are friends and neighbors of the towns where they work. Helping to build, maintain, and foster trust in their communities, they go above and beyond in keeping their neighborhoods safe and comfortable to live in. One of the main ways this safety is ensured is by working extensively with regulating bodies that monitor air quality, water safety, and spill control.

The National Association of Asphalt Producers has even implemented Diamond Commendations to recognize plants that are using best practices to improve quality and safety. This program allows companies to compare their standard to others across the nation, as well as provides an opportunity to evaluate and identify areas of improvement in the constant effort to make asphalt production safer and smoother than ever.
 

CONTROLLED EMISSIONS

TODAY'S MODERN PLANT

As in almost every industry technology has greatly improved asphalt production in terms of efficiency, emissions, and safety. By switching over to natural gas and using specially designed burners that control fuel and air flow to heat the aggregate nitrous oxide, PAHs, and other emissions are all but eliminated.

Another major change has been the implementation of the baghouse, a filtration system to collect any dust produced while the aggregate is being heated and keep it out of the air. In fact, the dust produced during this process is collected and stored on site to be used at the appropriate percentage based on the mix design. Research is constantly being conducted on new ways technology can be used to make plants more efficient and safer than ever before.
 

RECYCLING

AMERICA'S MOST RECYCLED PRODUCT

It’s never the first to come to mind, but asphalt is actually the most recycled material in America. Aluminum cans, glass & plastic bottles, and newspapers are recycled for a combined weight of 58.5 million tons each year. In comparison, 89.2 million tons of asphalt are recycled annually. And unlike glass or plastic which are often turned into a completely different product that cannot be recycled again – 93% of recycled asphalt is put back to use in new pavement, and the remaining 7% is used to make unbound aggregate bases for other civil engineering projects.
  

ARTICLES AND FLYERS

BLACK AND GREEN: Sustainable Asphalt, Now and Tomorrow

The engineers, scientists, contractors and managers who guide the development of asphalt pavement have made it one of the most environmentally advanced building materials in the world by constantly improving its cost effectiveness and safety. By extending pavement life – by improving materials, designs, or best practices – these professionals reduce the cost to the environment and to the taxpayer.

The asphalt pavement industry and its partners continue to improve the environmental performance of asphalt, already one of the most sustainable pavement materials on earth.

ASPHALT PLANTS – KNOW THE FACTS (September 2017)

Thousands of communities across the country coexist peacefully with asphalt pavement mix plants. These facilities are in urban, suburban, and rural areas, and most of them are known as good neighbors who are engaged with their community and dedicated to sustainable operations. However, there is a lot of misleading and often daunting information about asphalt plants and products. Therefore, it’s important to understand what is fact and what is fiction.

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