These days, the words ‘Green‘ and ‘Sustainable‘ seem to be freely applied to all sorts of products in a bid to make consumers think that they are doing good by making a purchase. But more often than not, it’s hard to know how true a brand’s claim to be environmentally friendly is.
As a result, most of us see the green tag on the packaging as little more than marketing hyperbole, and have become indifferent to the message, which is sad really because the truth is we do need to start getting serious about protecting the environment and being aware of how our purchasing decisions affect the earth.
The issue of going green becomes even harder when it comes to home renovations, because of the lack of environmentally-friendly reno materials available. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of homeowners out there who care about saving the planet, but it’s not as easy as looking at the labels when choosing your paints, tiles or surfaces (most of the time you only get to see everything after they have been installed/applied by the contractors anyway).
For that reason, Cosentino – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of stone composite surfaces – decided to take a big leap forward by launching a series of stone composite surfaces last week, that are entirely carbon neutral under their Silestone branding.
About Sunlit Days
Sunlit Days is a collection under Cosentino’s Silestone brand, which utilises a patented HybriQ+ technology to create stone composite surfaces that are carbon neutral. Looking at the numbers, it uses 100% renewable energy, 98% recycled water and a ‘minimum of 20% recycled materials’. There are five shades in the collection: Arcilla Red, Cala Blue, Posidonia Green, Faro White and Cincel Grey.
What I like about the collection
As I’ve mentioned, staying green while trying to build your dream home isn’t easy because it’s really difficult trying to find materials that look good and are sustainably made as well. Stone composites are an ideal alternative to using marble slabs because they are made with quartz stones mixed with other materials, and create less carbon footprint and wastage in its production. Sunlit Days actually tops the list by being entirely carbon neutral.
Green label aside, I also love that the colours in the Sunlit Days collection are inspired by the stories of real people living in the Mediterranean. Cosentino, a Spanish brand headquartered in the Andalusian city of Almeria, tapped on the lives of six individuals, each with interesting backgrounds, to put together the collection. In the online presentation, we found out more about Fernando, Marina, Mario, David as well as married couple Rober and Maria del Mar.
The colours are muted yet warm, and come with a smooth and sensual finish. They are perfectly suited for any modern interiors, and offer a whole universe of possibilities in terms of their application. My only complaint is that now I need an excuse to give my living and dining areas a new update.
Another plus with Silestone is that it’s absolutely easy to maintain. My countertops are from Silestone, and they are really scratch- and stain-resistant. I don’t bother using coasters at all, and it’s relatively safe putting hot pots onto the countertop without a trivet. In fact, I also cut my fruits directly on the countertop since the surface has anti-bacteria qualities as well (don’t worry, I disinfect my countertops before and after placing food directly onto them).
For those who are interested, you can view the collection in person at Cosentino’s City Showroom or mention it to your ID.