Asphalt Millings / Paving Solutions / DIY Projects / Cost Savings

The Top 5 Benefits of Using Recycled Asphalt Millings

By Gorilla Materials Team •
A close-up of a pile of processed asphalt millings, ready for use in a project.

If you’re planning a new driveway, parking area, or farm lane, you’ve likely considered traditional options like gravel or hot-mix asphalt. But there’s a powerful, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative you should know about: recycled asphalt millings.

Asphalt millings are the byproduct of road resurfacing projects—essentially, they are the old asphalt pavement that has been ground up. At Gorilla Materials, we process this material to create a uniform, high-quality product that offers incredible value. Here are the top five benefits of choosing recycled asphalt millings for your next project.

1. Significant Cost Savings

This is often the number one reason people choose asphalt millings. The material itself is significantly less expensive than new hot-mix asphalt because it’s a recycled product. This allows you to achieve a durable, semi-paved surface for a fraction of the cost, making it an ideal solution for long driveways, large parking areas, or budget-conscious projects.

2. Superior Durability and Low Maintenance

Unlike loose gravel that can wash away, spread out, and create dust, asphalt millings contain residual asphalt binder (the tar that holds pavement together). When spread and compacted, the millings bind together over time, especially when exposed to the heat of the sun. This process creates a hard, durable surface that is:

  • Strong and stable: It resists ruts and potholes better than gravel.
  • Low-dust: Significantly reduces the amount of dust kicked up by traffic.
  • Low-maintenance: Requires less frequent raking and re-grading than a typical gravel surface.

3. Environmentally Friendly

Choosing recycled asphalt is a powerful way to make your project more sustainable. By using millings, you are:

  • Diverting waste from landfills: Every ton of millings used is a ton of material kept out of our local landfills.
  • Conserving natural resources: You reduce the demand for new, virgin materials like quarried stone and petroleum-based asphalt binder.
  • Reducing your carbon footprint: Recycling asphalt requires far less energy than producing new asphalt from scratch.

4. Excellent Weather Resistance

Recycled asphalt millings perform exceptionally well in North Carolina’s varied climate. The heat of the summer sun helps soften the residual binder, further compacting and hardening the surface. In wet weather, a compacted milling surface provides better traction and is less prone to washing out than gravel. It’s a tough, all-season material that holds up year after year.

5. Easy to Install and Repair

For property owners and contractors alike, the ease of installation is a major plus. Asphalt millings can be delivered, spread with a tractor or skid steer, and compacted with a roller or vehicle. The process is straightforward and much less complex than laying hot-mix asphalt. Furthermore, if a low spot or pothole does develop over time, repairs are as simple as adding more millings to the area and compacting them down.

Is Recycled Asphalt Right For You?

For a durable, low-cost, and eco-friendly surface, it’s hard to beat the value of recycled asphalt millings. It’s the perfect solution for everything from rural driveways and farm lanes to commercial parking lots and storage areas.

At Gorilla Materials, we provide high-quality, consistently processed asphalt millings to ensure the best results for your project. Ready to learn more?

Explore our recycled asphalt products or contact our team today for a quote and expert advice on your project.