How can your kitchen counter protect the environment?
Materials imitating natural stone are popular for countertops and other furnishings, but they come with a heavy environmental impact. The EU-funded SUSTONABLE project has found a way to produce such surfaces using less energy and water and just half of the raw materials. The solution combines crushed stone with recycled PET to create a material that looks and feels just like composite stone. SUSTONABLE has now been featured in the new CORDIS series of explanatory videos titled Make the Connection. Each square metre of the material contains around 100 plastic bottles, preventing them from going to landfill. The patented material is not only more environmentally friendly, but also cheaper to produce and lighter than engineered stone, making it easier to transport and install. What’s more, it can be recycled and reused, contributing to a circular economy. Find out more about SUSTONABLE. ‘Make the connection with EU-science’ is a series of explanatory videos focusing on the scientific content and exploitation aspects of EU research projects.
Keywords
SUSTONABLE, eco-friendly material, recycled plastic bottles, countertops, recycled PET, composite stone, circular economy