At Milestone, we build roads and bridges for generations. We are stewards for the next generation, leaving our people, our planet and our communities better than we found them.  

On Earth Day, we celebrate the marvels of asphalt and its recyclable nature. Did you know according to the Federal Highway Administration asphalt pavement is considered one of America’s most recycled products?

One of the ways we reuse asphalt is through a process called reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). In which old roadways are taken and grounded into new mixtures to be re-laid. When properly processed, RAP contains high quality and well-graded materials that produce similar to if not better than virgin asphalt. It is estimated that 45 million tons of RAP is produced in the United States each year.

Leveraging recycled asphalt in our industry not only keeps overall costs down for our customers, but it also reduces energy demands significantly. For example, recycling asphalt means fewer expenses quarrying more aggregate materials. Reducing quarry needs means less energy and costs in production, processing and transporting the aggregate materials. As a result, leveraging recycled asphalt provides significant cost and environmental benefits.

One of our most recent asphalt recycling projects took place last summer. We partnered with our HC+M (Heritage Construction Materials) companies to produce and lay down a Cold Construction Asphalt Pavement in Morgan County, Indiana. Read more here: Making Lives Better One Road at a Time with CCAP .

CCAP Project in Morgan County, Indiana

Ways You Can Aid in Protecting Your Planet  

Remember that Earth Day is not just one day a year, but every day. Protecting our planet starts with you. Here are a few tips on what you can do to aid in protecting your planet:  

• Volunteer. Volunteer for cleanups in your community! 
• Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff that ends up in the ocean. 
• Shop wisely. Try using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic. 
• Choose reusable items. Instead of plastic water bottles, try a refillable.  

As we reflect on this Earth Day, we are proud to be a company that uses and advances one of the world’s most recycled products, asphalt. We look forward to learning more about asphalt materials, and how we can continue to make sustainable solutions for our planet.