Cosentino Commits to Sustainability
CANTORIA, Spain — Cosentino Group joined in the World Environment Day celebrations on June 5 as one of Spain’s most recognized companies for its substantial support of sustainability and the Circular Economy.
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Last year, investments in environmental assets for the Spanish company totaled €5 million, and expenditure on environmental control and improvement topped €8 million. It also invested in $2.8 million in U.S. environmental assets of $2.8 million, along with U.S. waste-management expenditures.
These tangible and voluntary commitments by Cosentino are in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. In doing so, the company also adheres to its own strategic objectives like innovation (Sustainable Development Goal 9) and sustainable production (Sustainable Development Goal 12).
Some landmark measures for the company include:
• Water management through constant reuse and “zero discharge” (in 2018, there was a 53% increase in recycled water);
• Reuse of residual materials as the basis 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 its industrial park in Cantoria; and
• Consumption of electric energy from 100% certified renewable sources, among other initiatives.
A major 2018 highlight is the construction and launch of a self-contained Residual Materials Processing Plant at the Cantoria industrial complex. This plant is intended for the treatment and provision of residual materials generated by the company in its production processes, especially sludge from the production of Silestone® and Dekton®, and leftover broken or defective pieces.
The company currently manages a total of approximately 280,000 metric tons of residual material (more than 700 metric tons per day) and recovers more than 30% of this. In 2018, Cosentino boosted its recovery tonnage by 83% compared to the previous year.
Cosentino is also in the advanced stages of planning for what will be one of Spain’s largest renewable-energy power plants for self-consumption. The project, slated for completion next year, is expected to generate solar energy of around 20 megawatts designated for consumption solely by Cantoria Industrial Park — approximately 30% of its total energy consumption.
Cosentino will continue to include the Circular Economy in its processes, and procuring a license to utilize water from a local treatment plant.
Another pioneering initiative is one to utilize residual municipal water from local urbanities near the company’s facilities in Cantoria, and give this water a totally new use for industrial purposes. 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 organized a week-long series of activities to raise awareness and consciousness of environmental matters among its employees. Particularly noteworthy were guided visits of the Residual Materials Processing Plant, various informative talks in production centers across the world and conferences by experts in sustainability, as well as the installation of different environmental “corners” in the Park’s factories and in corporate offices.
Recycling workshops also showed how residual materials from Cosentino wre made into useful household products such as coasters, mobile holders, candle-holders, plant pots, and more. At the same time, the central offices were 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.
Cosintino also organized, in conjunction with the Europa Press news agency, the Circular Economy Day on June 14, at the Fundación Cajamar event space in Almería. Experts such as Nicola Cerantola, executive director of Ecologing, and Vicente Galván from the Ferrovial Environment Competence Centre offered presentations; events also included a roundtable debate involving representatives from some of the province’s emblematic companies such as Tecnova, Suez and Frutilados.
The day ended with an address by Ms. Carmen Crespo, Andelusia Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development.
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