According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 11 million to 13 million tons of asphalt shingles end up in landfills each year, which take upward of 300 years to break down. After seeing the amount of roofing waste firsthand, Lendlease together with Rubicon Technologies, Mycocycle, and Rockwood Sustainable recently set out to reduce construction and demolition waste to produce a sustainable and reusable product.
The four partners have completed a pilot project involving used asphalt shingles, mushrooms, and mycoremediation technology. “Every asphalt shingle from the 214 homes at our Fort Campbell Army installation would have gone to a landfill,” says Sara Neff, head of sustainability at Lendlease Americas. “There was simply no viable use for them.
“We understand the importance of reducing our Scope 3 carbon by diverting waste streams from the landfill. After teaming up with Rubicon, Mycocycle, and Rockwood Sustainable Solutions, we came up with an innovative idea using mycoremediation technology; combining mushrooms and shingles to break down waste materials and create a new byproduct that could ideally be reintroduced for reuse, furthering a circular economy.”
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