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The federal government is offering funding to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the asphalt industry is primed to seize the opportunity.
In late 2021, the President’s Administration released a Federal Sustainability Plan, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This was followed by Executive Order 14057, which launched the initiative to promote American-made, low-carbon construction materials. The Buy Clean Task Force was also established to recommend policies and procedures on embodied emissions in federally funded projects.
Embodied emissions are the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with extraction through manufacturing of a given material. Historically, asphalt is associated with a high quantity of embodied emissions due to the process of converting crude oil into road-worthy asphalt pavement.
One of the Buy Clean Task Force’s main objectives is to increase transparency around embodied emissions by assisting asphalt suppliers in reporting Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to better publicize and then reduce their emissions.
The Buy Clean initiative is driving demand for lower-carbon materials, including asphalt, via federal procurement. Additionally, the Federal Highway Administration has $1.2 billion available for State DOTs to fund their own projects and programs to utilize lower-carbon materials. This funding is available through a Request for Applications (RFA), which will allow for quick reimbursement of incentive funds. $800 million will soon be available for local governments and agencies.
With incentives coming from the federal and state levels, it will not be long before carbon footprint is more commonly adopted as a variable in the public sector bid process.
Asphalt is already at the top of recycled materials worldwide. While about 69% of steel, 68% of paper and 75% of aluminum are recycled, asphalt’s recycling rate is 95% and growing. It can be reused repeatedly, maintaining the same properties. The benefits are obvious: Recycling asphalt saves on material costs and lowers the emissions generated by extracting and transporting raw material.
NAPA reports, “The net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the use of RAP in new asphalt mixtures from 2009 to 2019 was estimated at 21.2 million tonne CO2e, equivalent to the annual emissions from approximately 460,000 passenger vehicles.”
Using recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) alone can reduce emissions, but there is an additional opportunity. The temperature of the asphalt binder (hot, warm or cold mix) affects the carbon footprint of a new pavement application. Recycled hot mix (RHM) or hot in-place recycling (HIR) can be replaced by alternative applications such as warm mix asphalt (WMA) or the exciting development of cold in-place recycling (CIR) to reduce emissions.
In addition to the environmental benefits of RAP and lower asphalt temperatures, new applications and techniques, often under the umbrella of pavement preservation, are extending the life of roads while also lowering carbon footprint. The new applications often utilize RAP and innovative material solutions. Pavement preservation is the appropriately timed application of specific surface treatments to extend or maintain the service life of pavement. With treatments like cape seal, fog seal, tack coat and more, there are many potential ways to develop a sustainable solution plan around long-term goals.
Evergreen Roadworks™ is proud to be at the forefront of pavement preservation. To reduce our carbon footprint, we are turning to innovative solutions. We work with educators, universities, and our friends at Heritage Research Group, to implement innovative materials, application methods and technologies from the lab for use in the field. Leveraging support from The Heritage Group’s family of companies, we can go further than any of us could go alone.
Above all, “We believe in what we are doing,” says Evergreen President Joe Lamb. For municipalities, counties and agencies, we know our relationships must be based on the value we can bring to one another. Yes, we can reduce our carbon footprint, but at a competitive cost, with a local workforce and local aggregate, often using recycled roads the agency has already purchased. True partnership is understanding that we are all in this together.
By leveraging government funding, and relying on the knowledge of experts, we can build better roads at a lower cost to everyone involved, and the environment.
Curious to learn more about pavement preservation techniques? Reach out today to discuss materials and processes for your pavement needs.
