RECYCLING
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Our Commitment
Maymead is committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner. We are constantly monitoring and evaluating to ensure that all operations are conducted in the most conscientious and environmentally friendly way possible. We are conscious of our carbon footprint, and have converted 6 of our 10 asphalt plants to run with natural gas, with ongoing efforts to convert the remaining locations. We are also capable of running warm mix asphalt at any of our asphalt locations—further reducing our emissions with this product.
Environmental stewardship is a major focus of the United States Department of Transportation strategic plan. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, environmental stewardship is an equally shared responsibility.
The Federal Highway Administration supports and promotes the use of recycled highway materials in pavement construction in an effort to preserve the natural environment, reduce waste and provide a cost effective material for constructing highways. Asphalt is the most recycled material in the United States today. Each of Maymead's asphalt plants has the ability to include recycled products in its mixes. Recycled asphalt pavement and recycled asphalt shingles comprise a significant portion of our standard mix designs. Annually, Maymead recycles over 200,000 tons of reclaimed materials.
RECLAIMED ASPHALT PAVEMENT (RAP)
Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is the term given to removed and/or reprocessed pavement materials containing asphalt and aggregates. These materials are generated when asphalt pavements are removed for reconstruction, resurfacing or to obtain access to buried utilities. When properly crushed and screened, RAP consists of high-quality, well-graded aggregates coated by asphalt cement. Maymead has teams of recycling specialists who generate RAP on roadway rehabilitation projects, and who process RAP at each of our asphalt plant facilities.
RECLAIMED ASPHALT SHINGLES (RAS)
Maymead partners with local landfills to recycle asphalt shingles. This prevents thousands of tons of recyclable building materials from being deposited into valuable waste management locations. Maymead provides rigorous testing to ensure these materials do not have contaminants such as asbestos in them prior to processing. Once certified, this material can safely be recycled as part of new asphalt mixes.