Unlike aggregates, no government agency tracks production totals on recycled concrete aggregate. Concrete recyclers, at least, generally say they’re crushing the tonnages made available to them.
Unfortunately, the growth trajectory is somewhat limited at this stage for those recycling concrete.
“I would say it’s slow and steady,” says Josh Cleaver, director of sales and quality control at California-based BoDean Company. “It’s been pretty consistent over the past five years. I don’t see it growing. We recycle 100 percent of everything we bring in, but we’re not getting inundated with piles. What becomes available and into our yard is usually recycled, and it’s able to be sold pretty evenly.”
Noah Bredeweg, an inside sales representative at Michigan-based Top Grade Site Management, says concrete presents more opportunities for recycling than asphalt.
“For us, it seemed like demand was relatively high throughout this year,” Bredeweg says. “Concrete is always going to be a little bit higher.”
Still, recycling activity isn’t rampant everywhere. In Maryland, for example, ReAgg’s David Cantwell says government spending on transportation infrastructure has been slashed. And that’s hurt business.
“The actual allocation of spending of transportation authorities is down significantly in Maryland,” Cantwell says.
Additionally, he says elevated interest rates are putting jobs on pause throughout the state.
“Projects are going on hold waiting for favorable financing,” Cantwell says. “It’s going to be trying for the road contractors to do things. It’s become easy to take money out of the budget from roadbuilding.”
The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), which publishes an annual report detailing the use of RAP and reclaimed asphalt shingles each year, touted in January that asphalt remains the nation’s most recycled product.
According to NAPA, the average percentage of RAP used in asphalt mixtures across the U.S. increased to nearly 22 percent in 2021. The percentage is up from 15.6 percent in 2009, the association says.
NAPA says producers used 94.6 million tons of RAP in asphalt production in 2021. Also, 95 percent of RAP is now reused in new pavement.
“NAPA members have led the way in reusing pavements and engineering innovations like warm-mix asphalt,” says Audrey Copeland, NAPA president and CEO. “The increased implementation of these technological solutions demonstrates how our industry continually works together with suppliers, road owners and the best available science to find and implement climate-friendly innovations that work for the public good.”
Final thoughts
Although USGS’s tally shows aggregate production trending down in 2023 and sentiments indicate recycling is healthy but somewhat limited, producers and contractors continue to take advantage of one favorable factor: the weather.
For those in traditionally colder climates, the weather late in the year has allowed producers and contractors to extend their crushing seasons in recent years.
“We’re going to close out the year by dragging some things into December and wrapping them up,” Scepaniak says. “That’s a great thing. This is a pivotal point in our season.”
Such a boost isn’t a bad way to get things moving for 2024.