In the year 2021, it’s more important than ever to live in an environmentally conscious manner. Being environmentally friendly encompasses many areas of life—from taking the bus when you can to choosing the material for your kitchen countertop remodel.
That last part might come as a surprise. Whether or not your kitchen countertop is friendly to the Earth is probably not something that crosses many of your minds, but it should be.
The material that this article is specifically centered on is quartz. Quartz is hugely popular in the kitchen countertop remodel scene right now—it has been for years, and that trend is probably not going to change anytime soon. This is actually great news, not only because quartz is an affordable and highly attractive stone, but also because it goes easy on our environment.
Read on to discover how you can feel good about your quartz purchase—regarding both the big picture (the world) and the small one (your home).
Here are a few environmental benefits of quartz countertops.
It’s Abundant
Quartz is the most common mineral in the world. Unlike granite and marble, which can only be mined from specific locations, quartz is available pretty much everywhere in the world. It forms in all sorts of places—in underground rock formations and in open cavities.
Quartz’s abundance means that it’s very easy to mine effectively. Because it’s a simple process, it doesn’t have to be shipped to its location from faraway places in the world, which reduces the toll that shipping takes on the environment.
It’s Hardy
When quartz travels, it doesn’t need to be handled carefully or need any sort of special care. That might seem irrelevant, but it’s not. Because it’s not a picky stone, much less of it goes to waste, if any at all.
It’s Durable
This relates to the stone being hardy – but it’s not quite the same. Quartz, in its rawest form, does not need to be handled carefully, which relates to the previous point. But quartz slabs, the type used for kitchen and bathroom countertops, are durable as well.
This durability lends itself to the environment because it means that quartz countertops need to be replaced much less frequently than, say, laminate or solid surface. Because it lasts for such a long time and can endure a lot of wear and tear, there’s a smaller amount of material being refused.
It’s Recyclable
Even though quartz is long lasting and durable, it’s inevitable that it will need to be replaced sometimes. Whether that’s because the homeowner is simply sick of the way it looks or because the countertop is past its prime, there are certain instances where quartz must be discarded.
The good news is that quartz is recyclable. There are even some types of quartz countertops that are made with recycled glass. Quartz can be turned back into countertops, or it can become something completely different. That’s the magic of recycling.
When Marble Granite World is installing your quartz countertops, we’ll take the excess materials off your hands and recycle them ourselves—you don’t even need to worry about it!
It’s Eco-friendly
Quartz is made with zero toxic chemicals, which means that it’s safe for your home and safe for the Earth. All quartz countertops are NSF certified. When you recycle it, you’re not putting anything into the atmosphere that shouldn’t be there.
Good for Home, Good for Earth
Quartz isn’t just beneficial for your home, it’s beneficial for everyone’s home—the Earth. Because of its recyclability, high quantities across the globe, and longevity, it’s one of the best eco-friendly options on the market.