Cosentino North America (Cosentino), a distributor and marketer of Silestone natural quartz surfaces, has introduced a new line of countertop and surfacing material, ECO. The new ECO is a durable surface made of 75% recycled content composed of post-industrial or post-consumer materials and is bound by an environmentally friendly resin. The new ECO sets an unmatched standard for the green building and sustainable design industries.
The new ECO is a result of $6 million research and development investment that caters to the environmentally conscious and design-oriented architect, designer, and consumer by offering high performance, design and sustainability. The new ECO will enter the market in April 2009, and is available at all Lowe’s stores nationwide and also specialty kitchen and bath distributors and showrooms across the country.
The launch of ECO by Cosentino is an exciting milestone for the company, stated Roberto Contreras, Jr., president of Cosentino. It marks the introduction of an entirely new category to the industry and sets a new standard that not only complies with environmental regulations but goes beyond and invests in innovative environmental and conservation practices and technologies.
The new ECO is composed of 75% post-industrial and post-consumer recycled raw material, incorporating: mirrors salvaged from houses, building and factories; glass from windows and bottles; granulated glass from the consumer recycling practices; porcelain from china, tiles, sinks, toilets and decorative elements; and industrial furnace residuals from factories in the form of crystallized ashes.
By using these recycled materials, Cosentino is upcycling the products that have reached the end of their lifecycle, meaning that they cannot be included in to any other industrial product and would otherwise assemble in landfill sites. According to Cosentino, about 3000 glass bottles equals 1Tn of raw materials. The production of new ECO is anticipated to re-use the equivalent of 60,000,000 glass bottles every year. Reutilizing this huge amount of material prevents it from building up at landfills year after year, and decreases the need to mine for new resources.
The recycled content is then mixed with 25% natural material incorporating: stone scrap from mountains, quarries, manufacturing, and fabrication; and is bonded together with a proprietary eco-friendly 22% corn oil resin. This pioneering resin is the result of a major research and development initiative, and is unparalleled in the market.
The new ECO’s make-up of recycled materials integrated with natural elements is attained through technology and delivers a hard durable surface that has high stain, scratch and scorch performance. Unlike more traditional materials, it is non-porous and does not require sealers. At launch, the new ECO is available in two sophisticated color palettes, the Revive collection and the Green collection, totaling 10 individual designer colors, suitable for both commercial and residential projects. It is also available in both a polished and a matte Leather Texture finish.
The new ECO is available in jumbo slabs of 63x 128 and standard tile sizes of 12x 12, 18x 18 and 24x 24. The jumbo slabs enable for a higher square footage of material per container, therefore minimizing the product’s carbon foot print, and provide a higher yield of material during fabrication, minimizing seams and waste. The slabs are available in 1.2cm, 2cm and 3cm thickness to respond to varying market needs. Architects and building teams will gain points toward LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for a building project that uses new ECO surfacing. The new ECO is GREENGUARD certified for low chemical emissions.
ECO by Cosentino closely matches the superior durability of quartz surfaces, exceeds the performance of more conventional materials such as granite and marble, and is dramatically less damaging to the environment. It is the ideal product for today’s eco-minded consumer who seeks performance and sustainability, without sacrificing design, stated Valentin Tijeras Garcia, director of product innovation, Cosentino.
Commitment to the Environment:
Cosentino is committed to the continuous enhancement and development of eco-friendly processes through innovation and technology. As the market for green products grows exponentially, the growth of the company is directly linked to its green practices that respect, protect and rebuild the environment, from the early stages of mining and sourcing raw materials, through to product manufacturing, distribution, fabrication and installation.
In the creation of new ECO, Cosentino has advanced its environmental standards to a new high, incorporating: decreasing dust emissions in all phases of production; purifying 99% of Volatile Organic Compound factory emissions; optimizing water usage via water reclamation processes that enables the company to use 94% recycled water in production processes; and pursuing quarry restoration and mountain reforestation under strict stewardship programs. Additionally, all of the packaging and marketing materials created for the promotion of new ECO are eco-friendly, made from recycled materials. The company will apply these new standards across the board to all its full portfolio of existing products, incorporating Silestone.