Northstar recycling technology separates liquid asphalt, fibre and aggregate from discarded shingles
Northstar Clean Technologies, a clean technology company focused on the recovery and repurposing of single-use asphalt shingles, recently raised $12.24 million and subsequently listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Northstar's Bitumen Extraction and Separation Technology (BEST) uses a proprietary process to separate the liquid asphalt, fibre and aggregate sands from discarded or defective asphalt roofing shingles destined for landfill.
In an era when technology companies often go public while still in the conceptual stage, Northstar has a fully constructed facility in Delta, BC, in the commercialization phase with steady-state production expected in Q4 2021.
ROOF has five expected revenue streams: tipping fees (paid by waste haulers and roofing contractors), sale of asphalt, sale of fibre, sale of aggregate and carbon credits.
Although asphalt shingles may not have the esthetic cachet of copper roofs or cedar-shakes, they are the most popular roofing material in North America due to the low cost, low weight, and durability. Asphalt shingles represent over 80 percent of the roofs constructed in North America today.
An asphalt shingle roof typically has a 15-year lifespan, after which it gets torn off and replaced. 12 million tons of asphalt shingles are sent to landfills annually in North America with only 1 million tons recycled back into road pavement. That translates into mountains of dirty asphalt shingles into North American landfills every year.
The "tipping fees" (surcharges paid to dump the old shingles) have been steadily increasing as governments around the world advocate for a more circular economy while racing to reduce landfill waste.
A survey of 13 Vancouver, BC-based roofing companies confirmed that environmental concerns have spread to the frontlines of asphalt roofing industry.
"Every single shingle that gets torn off here in Vancouver goes straight to the landfill," confirmed Will Franklin, owner of Canuck Roofing, "That's definitely a huge waste and the wrong thing to do."
Franklin reports that the tipping fees have tripled in the last ten years.
"Accessibility is going to be a big thing," adds Franklin, "The ideal scenario would be a recycling company that picks up the shingles themselves, at a lower rate."
