As the drive to greener residential and commercial buildings continues, sustainable construction materials are increasing in both popularity and usage. In Australia, this trend is driven by a combination of government policies, the industry itself, and more importantly, consumer demand. Consumers of today are provoking big changes to address the climate emergency, demanding more sustainable alternatives that have minimal impact on the environment.
At Cosentino, the group is revolutionising the architectural surfaces industry by considering sustainability and circularity at every stage of their business. This eco-conscious philosophy is driving innovation within the company, setting impressive benchmarks for the industry. Cosentino maintains a razor-sharp focus on developing high performance, low silica*, sustainable surfaces using cutting-edge manufacturing processes.
The group have their eyes set on bringing the best in surfacing materials to the design industry and they are succeeding, exemplified through Cosentino’s pioneering and leading brands, Silestone and Dekton – both friendly on the planet and for the people.
“Cosentino is constantly evolving and improving to lead the industry forward with superior products, such as Silestone with HybriQ+ and Dekton, carbon-neutral from cradle to grave. In Oceania, we are also rolling out our unparalleled commitment to the health and safety of our stonemasons by investing in education, machinery, and equipment to continue promoting best practices for the installation of our products, in addition to expanding our low silica portfolio of products in the market.” says Itay Shimony, Vice President of Cosentino Oceania.
Respected architect and brand ambassador of Cosentino, Peter Maddison, echoes this sentiment.
“As an architect with a good industry overview, I think that Cosentino products are aligned with where we are going as a society – that is durable and low impact on our precious environment. Cosentino’s core values resonate with mine, I love their focus on circular economy – reducing the usage of resources, lowering the carbon footprint.”
Silestone with HybriQ and HybriQ+ Technology
The new Silestone is manufactured using pioneering HybriQ and HybriQ+ Technology manufacturing, raising the bar for the industry. Developed in-house by the Research and Development team at Cosentino, HybriQ starts with a blend of premium minerals, quartz, and recycled materials, formed into slabs using 99% recycled water and 100% renewable electric energy. The HybriQ+ product category adds the use of a minimum of 20% recycled raw materials to the formula. This ground-breaking process also boasts zero water discharge, keeping local water sources clean and healthy.
Cosentino has also actively sought to reduce the presence of crystalline silica by 50%* and achieving a reduction of up to 90% in some colours. The technology’s new formulation brings a healthier workplace, without compromising the performance of the product – the hardness and performance of the updated Silestone with HybriQ+ remains absolutely unchanged. *
In Australia, the company is making a special investment to meet new Victorian regulatory requirements (due to take effect this November), by decreasing crystalline silica levels further, to below 40%. This will remove the need for stonemasons to hold a special license when working with Cosentino products.*
Dekton
Cosentino’s ultra-compact surface, Dekton, is a certified carbon neutral product for its entire life cycle. This optimisation of manufacturing processes and techniques has resulted in 7% reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, with the remainder being offset through investment in GHG emission reduction projects certified by the United Nations.
With high flexural strength and versatility, Dekton offers endless application possibilities for outdoor and indoor spaces – kitchen, bathroom and outdoor benchtops, interior and exterior wall and floor applications, stairs, façade cladding, furniture and more.
Dekton, as with Silestone, is a low maintenance surface that is easy to clean. It boasts high resistance to scratches, mechanical abrasion, and stains. It also offers high impact resistance and high UV resistance, with maximum resistance to fire and heat. Launching this September in Australia, Dekton will see a portfolio expansion of with 11 colours across two new inspiring collections
*You must review the safety recommendations and information at osh.cosentino.com. For availability of Silestone colours with HybriQ+ technology, please check cosentino.com or your nearest Cosentino Centre. The performance and sustainability acknowledgments around HybriQ® Technology have been fully certified by DNV, a global and independent provider, specialised in environmental and social assurance. To find out the selection of Cosentino products available with less than 40% crystalline silica, contact your nearest Cosentino Centre.
