Asphalt is not concrete
Broken driveway asphalt, sometimes called blacktop, is a mix of stone and asphalt binder. Sites that recycle clean concrete often refuse asphalt, and sites that recycle asphalt want it free of dirt, wood, and concrete. Call and describe the chunks. Ask whether they accept asphalt from a homeowner, whether it must be separate from concrete, and what size of piece they allow. Do not tell the scale house you have concrete when the pile is black and flexible in hot weather. Do not heat the chunks with a torch to shrink them, and do not burn them. Do not dump them down a slope on the property line. If a paving contractor or a recycler takes clean asphalt millings, that is a question to ask before you choose a landfill. Confirm any listing, because a recycler that took asphalt last year may not take it now.
If the chunks are coming out of a driveway you plan to repave, the AsphaltTons driveway calculator estimates how many tons of new hot mix the replacement will need.
What contaminates an asphalt load
Soil, grass, geotextile, and a layer of concrete stuck to the underside can turn a recyclable chunk into trash or mixed rubble. Knock off loose soil if the recycler wants clean material. If the asphalt is glued to concrete and you cannot separate them, say the load is mixed and ask which bay takes the combination. Sealers, gasoline spills, and unknown driveway chemicals change the answer again. A chunk that smells strongly of solvent or fuel should be described that way. Do not rinse it into a storm drain. Ask household hazardous waste staff if the contamination is more than ordinary weathered paving. Paint and plastic markers should be pulled off. They are not asphalt.
Keep black chunks off the concrete pile
Load chunks low. Asphalt is heavy, and a hot day makes a bed of it slump and smear. A tarp or a sheet of cardboard under the load can save the bed, and it must be disposed of with the rules for a dirty tarp, not recycled as clean cardboard. At the site, go to the asphalt area if one exists. If the attendant says the facility does not take asphalt, take the chunks back. Do not fling them onto the concrete pile after the conversation. Loose stones that break off should be swept back into the correct bay. A smear of tar on the scale is still part of your visit to clean up if staff ask.
Before you go
- Call and ask where asphalt chunks are accepted, separate from concrete.
- Disclose mixed concrete, heavy soil, or chemical contamination.
- Do not heat, burn, or dump the chunks.
- Unload only in the asphalt or mixed bay you are assigned.
Telling the scale house the blacktop is concrete so you can use the clean rubble pile.
Questions people ask
Are asphalt shingles the same load?
No. Roofing shingles are a different material. Describe shingles separately and follow the site's roofing rule rather than the paving rule.
Can cold patch bags go with the chunks?
An unopened bag of cold patch is a product, not a broken driveway. Ask the site. Do not bury a bag of fresh mix inside a load of old chunks.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.