3 Fun Ways to Reduce Waste & Reuse Old Roofing Materials

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Choose a Company with Sustainable Roofing Practices

If you are choosing a roofing company with sustainable recycling practices, you are well on your way to helping out your community and planet.

If you are still shopping around for a eco-friendly roofer, try to pick a general contractor that will order the least amount of overflow materials and will make the eco-friendly choice with utilizing old materials.

How to Recycle and Reuse Roofing Shingles or Tiles

Now that you have just had a new roof installed, you will likely have some excess roofing materials. Unused shingles or tiles can be brought to your local Habitat for Humanity or ReStore to be processed.

If you have an asphalt roof, you’re in luck because recycled shingles can often be used in asphalt for paving roads if you contact the local government.

If you have old shingles, slate tiles or clay tiles, here are a few fun (and easy!) DIY crafts to reuse, and reduce waste!

3 DIY Projects for Recycled Roofing Shingles or Tiles

Satisfy your arts and crafts itch and recycle – it’s a win-win!

Project 1: Door Mat from Reclaimed Asphalt Shingles

Nothing says welcome to the neighborhood like a homemade mat. All this really takes is glueing a few asphalt shingles together and BAM – you have yourself a new doormat.

• Step 1: Find all of the shingles that you wish to use in your project.
• Step 2: Flip the shingles so that the rough part is facing down.
• Step 3: Arrange the tiles in the shape that you want your mat to be.
• Step 4: Hot glue all of the tiles together, line by line and wait for the glue to dry.
• Step 5: Flip the shingles over as a whole, and start painting!

*Helpful Tip: It can work best to use spray paint on this type of rough material to make sure they get fully covered!

Project 2: Flower Pots from Recycled Slate Tiles

If you are looking for your next garden project, here it is. Building pots out of state tiles is an easy task to undertake and also, makes for an awesome conversation starter about your garden.

• Step 1: Find 4 slate tiles that are about the same height and length.
• Step 2: Stack them on top of each other and drill two holes in each side of the tile, about an inch away from each other.
• Step 3: Get four 1×3 rectangle inches of wood to use as a bolster in each corner of the pot.
• Step 4: Drill in the four wooden bolsters to where the holes were already drilled on each side of the tiles and connect all of the sides.
• Step 5: To add the base, simply add a tile to the bottom and push it to where the four bolsters are and screw it in! (Additional instructions can be found​ ​here)

Project 3: Painted Hanging Art from Reused Spanish Clay Tiles

This is a fun and creative activity the whole family can do together. With just a little paint and tiles, create a beautiful masterpiece to hang on your walls. Who knew reusing clay tiles can be an art?

• Step 1: Rinse off your existing clay tile so there is no residue or dirt, then wait for it to dry.
• Step 2: Next, simply apply a base layer/primer so that the rest of the paint you use will have the coloring that you would like.
• Step 3: Lastly, paint the tile however you want and proudly display your recycled masterpiece inside your home or out!

Don’t Stop Here – the Possibilities for Reusing Waste Materials Are Endless!

We hope you enjoyed these fun ways to reduce and reuse old roofing materials. Now, it is up to you to be creative and think of ways to keep our great planet happy and healthy. Just look around you, read more about related topics below, and imagine all the ways that you could start making a change today!