sphalt pavement is America’s most recycled material, making it the eco-friendly choice for pavements. According to the Asphalt Pavement Alliance, it’s 100% reusable and recycled at a higher rate than any other material — even soda cans and newspapers. In fact, 94% of asphalt reclaimed from old roads and parking lots is used again in new pavements. Asphalt also improves safety, lowers noise, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions during both production and daily use. With unmatched environmental, engineering, and economic benefits, it remains the pavement of choice across the U.S.

One of its most sustainable innovations is Perpetual Pavement — a design built to last for decades with minimal maintenance. Made of multiple asphalt layers, it features a durable base to resist cracking, a flexible middle layer to handle loads, and a renewable surface layer for wear. Only the top layer needs replacing every 10–20 years, allowing the structure to perform for 50 years or more. This approach maximizes durability, lowers lifecycle costs, and minimizes environmental impact by conserving energy and reusing materials.

In Texas, rapid population growth and increasing environmental awareness have elevated the importance of conserving natural resources. The asphalt industry works closely with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), a Texas agency that owns, maintains and operates 201,225 lane miles of roads and 34,865 bridges, which carry 185.8 billion vehicle miles annually, according to their 2022 asset management plan.    

Asphalt pavement roads require far less construction time than concrete. Unlike concrete, which involves complex forming, steel rebar placement, and lengthy curing that can close roads for weeks, asphalt can be paved and reopened in hours, improving traffic flow and work zone safety. Permeable friction courses (PFCs) in asphalt allow water drainage, reducing hydroplaning and spray, boosting visibility and safety. Asphalt pavement also provides better ride quality, smoothness, and quieter travel compared to concrete.

The Texas Asphalt Pavement Association (TXAPA), founded in 1944, is a non-profit organization focused on the asphalt pavement industry in Texas. It represents asphalt producers, contractors, suppliers, and other stakeholders, providing technical assistance, educational programs, and training services through its Hot Mix Asphalt Center. TXAPA works to ensure durable and safe asphalt pavements while supporting the professional development of its members and the Texas transportation system.

Asphalt mixture producers remain the country’s most diligent recyclers, with more than 93 percent of asphalt mixture reclaimed from old asphalt pavements being put back to use in new asphalt pavements and the remaining 7 percent being used in other civil engineering applications, such as unbound aggregate bases, according to a 2022 report by the National Asphalt Pavement Association,

By incorporating recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), and warm mix asphalt (WMA), asphalt remains the greenest choice for building roads. TxDOT specifications allow up to 20% RAP and 5% RAS in dense-graded mixes for new construction, which helps support Texas’ huge network of public roads.

Using RAP cuts down on the need for fresh materials and lowers carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 8.5% when including 20% RAP. The asphalt sector recycles about 95 million tons of its own material each year nationwide, reclaiming around 100 million tons in total. Meanwhile, RAS keeps 11 million tons of shingle waste out of landfills annually, trimming emissions by about 7% with just 5% RAS incorporated. These shingles, made of asphalt, fibers, and aggregates, fit perfectly into new pavements, turning potential trash into a valuable resource.

Warm Mix Asphalt further boosts these benefits by allowing lower production temperatures, which saves energy and drops emissions by around 10%. It enhances pavement longevity, smoothness, and worker safety while making it easier to blend in RAP and RAS. When combining RAP, RAS, and WMA, emissions can plummet by nearly 25%, making asphalt an even stronger ally in the fight against climate change.

On your next road trip, take a moment to notice the asphalt pavement beneath you—one of the world’s most recycled, durable, and eco-friendly materials. As proud TXAPA members, Westward and our civil engineering team bring industry best practices to every commercial and industrial project we design.