Summary Reader Response

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In the article, “Sustainability”, Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association (2013) discusses the “green” effects of asphalt. The article states that asphalt is considered “green” because it is non-disposable and reusable regardless of its age, while also allowing other waste products to be involved in the process. The article also explains how the development of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is revolutionary in asphalt paving through the incorporation of old asphalt into new asphalt. This is due to the fact that lesser pristine resources are used, thus reduces spending and fuel usage, which benefits both contractors and the environment. The article also highlights innovations such as Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) and porous pavements that are beneficial to the environment. The article claims that WMA reduces carbon footprints. In addition, porous pavements allow rainwater drainage into recharge beds for soil absorption and replenishes aquifers rather than forcing water into sewers.

 

With all of these benefits mentioned in the article, recycled asphalt is inevitable and should be the ideal choice in its industry, due to its economic and environmental advantages.

 

Firstly, recycled asphalt is cost-efficient. Asphalt pavements do not need as much maintenance as compared to virgin asphalt, which results in fewer labours done during repair services (Thompson, 2018). The same article also pointed out that only the upper surface of the damaged road is extracted when doing repair services. Fewer trucks are needed to dig up the top layer, thus reducing the cost of hiring trucks. The article also mentioned that the repair services reused recycled materials during the process. Due to all of these procedures, expenses are lowered significantly. According to Dykes Paving (n.d.), a high amount of oil is required to make asphalt, thus increasing the cost of virgin asphalt due to rising oil prices. Therefore, recycled asphalt is good value for money as it is just as durable despite being more affordable than virgin asphalt.

 

Another reason as to why recycled asphalt is beneficial is that it is environmentally friendly. According to Asphalt Recycle Australia (2017), fewer raw materials are needed when reusing and reclaiming old asphalt. As a result, spaces in landfills are available for other non-biodegradable waste, as it not required to hold asphalt waste. The same article also noted that recycled asphalt is lighter than virgin asphalt, thus reducing carbon emissions during transportation. Production of virgin asphalt also causes greenhouse gas emissions to soar, as fossil fuels are burned in the process (Greenway Industries, 2018). On the other hand, the article by Greenway Industries also stated that by using recycled asphalt, emissions will decrease as fossil fuels are not used and this helps to save non-renewable resources.

Despite all of these benefits, recycled asphalt does have its drawbacks. According to Federal Highway Administration (2016), recycled asphalt varies in quality, size and consistency depending on the initial asphalt material and the methods used to reclaim the asphalt. The report also stated that there is insufficient information regarding other possible applications of recycled asphalt due to the fact that most recycled asphalt are only integrated into pavements. This limits the versatility of recycled asphalt.

 

Although there are certain limitations to recycled asphalt, the advantages outweigh its cons. The only reason why recycled asphalt is not versatile is due to the fact that it has not been tried and tested. Given some time, there would be advancement in this technology, and we would see an improvement in its versatility. On top of the benefits mentioned above, Greenway Industries (2018) also mentioned that recycled asphalt will create job opportunities for everyone. This will not only further benefit the environment, but also the economy.

 

In conclusion, due to its economic and environmental upsides, the usage of recycled asphalt will not only be beneficial for asphalt paving companies, but also for everyone. Recycled asphalt definitely has its place in our modern society. It is the future of road paving, and hopefully more applications of recycled asphalt will be seen in our community. May we strive for an eco-friendlier lifestyle for future generations to come.

  

References

 

Asphalt Recyclers Australia. (2017, August 10). The Benefits of Recycled Asphalt. https://www.asphaltrecyclersaust.com.au/the-benefits-of-recycled-asphalt/

Dykes Paving. (n.d.). Why Asphalt Recycling Benefits the Economy. http://www.dykespaving.com/blog/why-asphalt-recycling-benefits-the-economy/

Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology. (2016, August 3). User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/rap131.cfm

Greenway Industries. (2018, April 5). 4 Benefits of Recycling Asphalt Pavement. https://greenwayindustries.net/4-benefits-of-recycling-asphalt-pavement/

Green Prophet. (2018, September 11). 7 Green Benefits of Using Eco-Friendly Asphalt. https://www.greenprophet.com/2018/09/7-green-benefits-of-using-eco-friendly-asphalt/

Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association. (2013, May 23). Sustainability. https://moasphalt.org/why-asphalt/green-asphalt/

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