An asphalt driveway looks light and thin, but a whole driveway adds up to plenty of weight. The planning question is not how to crack it up. It is where the old surface goes once it is cracked.
Know what you are replacing
An asphalt driveway usually has the asphalt layer on top and a compacted base underneath. The two layers do not always go to the same place. Ask your paving contractor how they handle each layer, because some contractors take the old asphalt away as part of the job and some do not.
Call before you dig
If the job goes below the surface, even for a new edge or drain, BC 1 Call says homeowners should file a locate request. The service is free. You can submit online at any time or call 1 800 474 6886. Members respond within three working days.
What the facilities say about asphalt
Asphalt is not a material every facility wants.
- The City of Richmond's Recycling Depot lists asphalt as not accepted.
- Metro Vancouver lists asphalt among inert fill materials banned from landfill disposal in amounts over 0.5 cubic metres per load.
- The City of Vancouver says its landfill is looking for clean waste concrete and asphalt for its own road upgrades, in amounts of 100 tonnes or more, and that qualifying loads could be disposed of for free. That is a contractor scale program with its own application steps, not a homeowner drop off.
For a single driveway, the practical routes are your paving contractor's own disposal, or a recycler that takes asphalt. Metro Vancouver Recycles is a good place to search, and a call to the facility before you load a truck saves a wasted trip.
Silica and safety
Metro Vancouver's construction toolkit lists silica as a hazard in materials including concrete, masonry and asphalt containing stone. Breaking and loading dry material makes dust. Follow your contractor's safety plan.
Where a bin fits
Old asphalt can go in one of our bins, as long as it is its own 10 or 12-yard bin. Asphalt does not go in the concrete bin. See our concrete page and our guide to concrete and dirt disposal for homeowners. We bring the bin, you or your contractor load it, and we take it away. A bin on your driveway takes no permit, but if your driveway is the thing being torn up, ask us where the bin can sit. Some cities need a permit for a bin on the street, so confirm with your City first.
FAQ
Does the Richmond Recycling Depot take asphalt? No. The City lists asphalt as not accepted.
Can I take asphalt to the landfill? Metro Vancouver lists asphalt as banned inert fill above 0.5 cubic metres per load. Call the facility before you haul.
Can asphalt go in a concrete bin? No. Asphalt goes in its own 10 or 12-yard bin.
Does my contractor take the old asphalt? Some do. Ask before you sign.