When it comes to "going green" Josh Shear and his wife Jen Carlson are a couple of Lincoln's leaders.

Ten years ago, they created a business called "Straw, Sticks and Bricks." The Haymarket store specializes in "green" building materials.

Now, their recycling revolution continues as they introduce an exciting spin-off company named Milestone Local Surfaces.

The transformative powers of Milestone enable them to take everyday trash like bottles and window glass and turn it into remarkably beautiful countertops.

Jen says, "The business is all about utilizing local materials to make something functional so the countertops that we're producing are actually 80 to 95 percent glass and all the glass we're using is recycled glass."

Josh invented the unique process that combines the glass with a resin binder that's non-non-porous so it performs like engineered stone and this bonus is...It has a story behind it. Jen says, "It's all well and good to say, 'I imported this slab of granite from I don't know where,' versus saying all of this glass is local and this family owned business created this to my specifications, it's a whole different thing, you have more of a connection."

And these Lincoln High School graduates are sure that connection will translate into a more personalized experience for the buyers. Josh believes in his new business, "Milestone really has a connection to the community. You can come down and see what's being made and then that's in your kitchen or your bathroom or your office."

When you're bringing in your own glass and picking from a wide variety of recycled glass, Jen says the color scheme options are endless, "The whole thing with this product is that we do have the ability to do any background color, I mean you could bring in a paint swatch and we could nearly match that a hundred percent and then include every glass combination you're interested in."

As Jen and Josh continue their transition into the new facility on West 'O' Street in Lincoln, the makers of Milestone say they're planning an Open House in September where visitors can come out and see for themselves just how these incredible surfaces are produced.

If you'd like to know more: http://www.milestonelocalsurfaces.com