Silestone Environmental Policy

Anyone can talk about respect for the environment. Silestone® by Cosentino lives it. In every step of production, from natural stone extraction to transportation to manufacturing to installation, we're committed to respect and protect our environment. We're constantly investing in new technologies that reduce emissions and maximize recycling. we devote significant resources to creating systems that ensure environmental sustainability. We've worked to become leaders in environmental responsibility. That means our products do more than meet industry requirements; they meet the expectations of a conscientious society. 

 

During the past few years, Cosentino's rapid growth has positioned our company as a worldwide leader in the stone industry. Due to this, it is worth mentioning the opening of our new international infrastructure and the continual improvement of our industrial park in Cantoria (Almeria), as well as the implementation of new production lines and product innovations, such as the addition of antimicrobial product protection into our Silestone® Quartz surfaces.

All these investments would not have been possible without the establishment of strong policies of respect, prevention, and control for our environment in all aspects of our industrial processes.

 

From the beginning, the company has established the appropriate measurements to prevent and improve the environmental variables within the company's most direct surroundings by investing in the latest available technology, allowing the development of Cosentino to be closely tied with respect for the environment. The objective is to implement the best environmental system to every process, and to continually improve our daily operations.

In order to achieve this, Cosentino has invested a significant percentage of its annual income in the installment and operations of various environmental systems within the stone industry. All of this make it possible for Cosentino to be one of the stone industries most green conscience companies with respect to the environment. 

 

Cosentino's commitment in terms of sustainability can be summarized as follows:

 

• Continually improving our processes and our products using as a "tool" the Quality Management and Environmental System;

• Compliance with established environmental rules as well as the requirements of both the market and society;

It is important to emphasize the expenditures invested on the systems for treating Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which have surpassed 1.4 million dollars, and that have allowed the purification of 99% of the emissions generated by the factories, currently obtaining a quality of air far superior to the one established by the European legislation from the present year 2007. 

These systems are based on the use of heat exchangers in the form of ceramic blocks that facilitate the combustion of organic compounds to convert them into carbon dioxide and water. The uninterrupted operation of the system generates enough combustion heat to maintain the necessary temperature for decontamination, guaranteeing adequate levels for the heating system and therefore the optimization of energy requirements.

 

The investment in water processes, one of the most fundamental and sensible components to transform natural stone, has escalated to nearly 6 million dollars in the past few years. This investment is shown in the new technology implemented in our productive processes, allowing optimization of the use of water and the attainment of our "zero discharge" goal. The process of sizing, cutting, and polishing of Silestone® and other natural stones employ the use of water. Therefore, Cosentino uses 98% recycled water. Our factories have modern settlings and filtration systems with micro bubbles that have been designed exclusively for Cosentino, improving the old systems of decanting by gravity. 

Through a mud reserve and a high-pressure dam, the wastewater sludge is expelled from the factories, separating the existing water as an input to the closed-circuit feed factory, favoring the subsequent controlled management of sludge and "zero discharge."  We therefore get a double benefit: we generate efficient use of a scarce resource such as water and improve the efficiency of the machinery. 

 

Cosentino cooperates with the quarries restoration plan as well as with the rubble places in Macael (Almeria) to recover its environment and original landscape. 

The environmental actions taken by Cosentino pursue the recovery of space and landscapes of its surroundings. To achieve this goal, Cosentino cooperates with the stabilization of quarries, optimization of rubble generation, and natural erosion control. These, as well as some other actions, are helping us interact with our quarry surroundings in a respectful manner by generating new vegetation and the propagation of native species in the area. By doing so, we are trying to not only minimize the visual impact produced by the quarries' presence, but also to utilize material which would not be used otherwise. All these steps are taking us to improve both the profitability of our 

quarries and the ecology of the area. 

Cosentino's challenge is to improve the quality of its surroundings and is concerned about reforestation and maintenance of the extraction areas throughout the years. By doing this, Cosentino fulfills its commitment with both the environment and society, and gives back to the area some of what has been taken out.

 

When clearing the production area of Silestone®, we use natural solutions; specifically an ecologic solvent that helps avoid emissions into the environment and improve working conditions as well as minimize residues that need to be treated in a specific way.

For the Silestone manufacturing process we have also made improvements during the past few years. Many of our existing colors have among their components post consumer recycled glass, specifically the color "Dali," composed of more than 70% recycled glass and the Stellar Series, Coffee Brown and Absolute Green with 35% content.

To Cosentino, the pursuit of sustainability is a permanent challenge. The actions described above are not an arrival point but a permanent effort to achieve economic, social, and environmental prosperity in those areas in which Cosentino has business.

Cosentino's environment commitment is related to its development and economical growth. At Cosentino we take the environment as a challenge to consolidate the company's leadership and to continue the implementation and development of the most advanced systems to measure and 

support our environment.

To achieve its goals, Cosentino is constantly looking in the stone sector for new technology coming either from universities, clients, providers, specialized forums, or above all our employees.

 

Cosentino owns a system that accepts suggestions and awards the best ideas to improve both the social and the environmental aspects proposed by our employees. 

The initiatives lined with our objectives are: To be a better person each day as well as respectful with our society and our surrounding environment.