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www.thedesignermagazine.com Cover Feature
Bottle Tops
The environmental impact of a new kitchen could be about
to get a whole lot smaller, writes Martin Allen-Smith
MiniMising
the use of natural resources consumer recycling practices; porcelain from china, tiles, sinks,
is high on the agenda for toilets and decorative elements; and industrial furnace waste from
most manufacturers today. not only is it through a realisation factories in the form of crystallised ashes.
that this is the socially responsible way to approach business, but The possibilities for further expanding what can be used, says
consumer appeal for products made in this way continues to grow the company, are pretty much limitless, bound at present only
at a steady rate. Projections for the future certainly suggest that by the ability to obtain sufficient guaranteed quantities of the
environmental issues are set to become increasingly significant as materials concerned to be able to develop it as an ‘ingredient’.
a key factor driving the consumer purchasing decision. The Eco range launches across Europe this month, having
As far as kitchen worksurfaces are concerned, we do of been available in the Us since late last year and will be presented
course have to accept that in an industry that exists to serve at the Cersaie show in Bologna, italy. The colour options range
consumption within a consumer society, it’s not possible to from lighter shades Polar Cap and White Diamond through to
continue to do business without using natural resources. But even dark surfaces such as Terra and starlight.
within this realistic acceptance, there is much that can be done to in each of the products within the range, the smooth surface
minimise the impact. texture belies the detailed and intricately eye-catching flicker
spanish manufacturer Cosentino has been working for some of the materials within – such as the glint of a mirror shard or
time on developing a surface production technique that utilises the deep green almost emerald-like shine of crushed glass from
recycled material. its new Eco product is made up of a minimum bottles.
of 75 per cent recycled material and for some products within The company plans to further develop the colour selection
the range, this goes up to as much as 90 per cent of its however, with alternatives that would have greater appeal in the
component parts. European market than they currently might in the Us. This could
The materials used are either post-consumer or post-industrial be done simply and easily right away of course, but this would
matter, and includes mirrors salvaged from houses, building and involve artificial dyes and therefore somewhat diminishes some
factories; glass from windows and bottles; granulated glass from of the hard work that has gone into building up this product’s
cosentino.indd 48 27/8/09 14:49:27
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