Sustainability and the Circular Economy: Cosentino’s Environmental Commitment

Cosentino has joined World Environment Day celebrations as one of Spain’s most recognized companies for its substantial support of sustainability and the Circular Economy.

In Spain, in 2018 alone, Cosentino rolled out investments in environmental assets worth over $5.6 million (USD), as well as $9.1 million in total spend on environmental improvement. In the United States, Cosentino invested in environmental assets worth $2.8 million in total, along with spending $788,800 on environmentally friendly waste management. These tangible commitments by Cosentino are made in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. In committing to sustainability and a positive environmental impact, the company adheres to strategic objectives like innovation (Sustainable Development Goal 9) and sustainable production (Sustainable Development Goal 12).

Some landmark measures have already been instituted at Cosentino, including water management through constant reuse and “zero discharge” (in 2018, Cosentino saw a 53% increase in recycled water), the reuse of residual materials for new products (last year, 1.5 million m2 of products were produced using recovered or recycled material), landscape restoration through an extensive green belt within the Industrial Park in Cantoria, Spain, and consumption of electric energy from 100% certified renewable sources, among other initiatives. Of these pioneering and innovative projects, the construction and launch last year of a self-contained Residual Materials Processing Plant within the company’s Industrial Park in Cantoria is worth highlighting in particular. This plant is dedicated to the sustainable treatment and processing of residual materials generated by the company in its production processes, especially sludge from the production of Silestone® and Dekton®, as well as leftover broken or defective pieces. To highlight the importance of this initiative, it is worth mentioning that the company currently manages a total of approximately 300,000 tons of residual material (over 771 tons per day), and recovers more than 30% of this. In 2018, this metric grew by 83% when compared to 2017.

Cosentino will continue these valuable projects in coming years, and environmental objectives will continue to drive some of Cosentino’s most significant investments. The company is in the advanced stages of planning for what will be one of Spain’s largest renewable energy power plants for self-consumption. Cosentino expects to implement the large-scale plans for this facility in 2020.

Cosentino will continue to empower The Circular Economy in its processes. In line with this goal, Cosentino aims to obtain a license which will permit the utilization of water from a county treatment plant. Construction of this new station for the Regeneration of Residual Water, located within Cosentino Park, is expected to commence this year.

To coincide with World Environment Day, the company has organized a week-long series of activities to raise awareness and consciousness of environmental matters among its employees:

Guided tours of the Residual Materials Processing Plant.
Informative talks in production centers across the world and conferences by experts in sustainability.
Installation of different environmental “corners” in the Park’s factories and in corporate offices.
Recycling workshops taking place, which will transform some of the residual materials generated by Cosentino into useful household products such as coasters, mobile holders, candle-holders, plant pots, and more.
Central offices have been decorated with different cards and signs which show some of Cosentino’s environmental achievements, such as the company’s main contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals.