A new era for Silestone® begins with the launch of HybriQ®, the responsible and sustainable surface

The Cosentino Group, a global leader in producing and distributing innovative and sustainable surfaces for the world of architecture and design, reaches a milestone within the surface industry with the development of the exclusive HybriQ® technology for Silestone surfaces. Cosentino’s contribution to a safer, more responsible, and sustainable present and future is setting a new standard within the surfaces market for architecture and design, changing the paradigm of the quartz surface category.

Eighty per cent of Silestone® production is currently manufactured with HybriQ®, a technology that involves both a new production process and a unique composition of the product, where the presence of crystalline silica is significantly reduced. This innovative technology will be used for the entire production of Silestone® by the end of 2021.

HybriQ® is a technological innovation that elevates the brand to a higher level, not only reaffirming Cosentino’s leadership by paving the way for greater sustainability but significantly contributing to the health and safety in its value chain, focusing on the people directly involved in the production process. Sustainability with HybriQ® co-exists in perfect harmony with the unique beauty and unmatched properties which have always characterized the Silestone brand, such as its high resistance to stains.

The world has changed, the consumer has changed, and sustainability and responsibility are now unquestionable necessities. Cosentino is responsibly committed as a new era begins for Silestone® by Cosentino: The Ultimate Mineral HybriQ Surface.

About HybriQ®

HybriQ® technology involves two critical elements: a new production process for manufacturing Silestone® and a new product composition:

• At the production level, HybriQ® technology includes Cosentino’s environmental milestones, such as the use of 99 per cent reused water from production processes and 100 per cent renewable electric energy, while also incorporating new improvements and more advanced systems in sustainable management and the circular economy in its factories.
• In terms of composition, HybriQ® uses a new hybrid formulation of mineral raw materials with equal or better performance than quartz, synthetic minerals, and materials of a recycled origin. This makes it possible to reduce the use of crystalline silica in the composition of Silestone® by 50 per cent, achieving a reduction of up to 90 per cent in some colours. All Silestone® slabs are labelled Q50 (maximum 50 per cent crystalline silica) or Q10 (maximum 10 per cent crystalline silica). With this new composition, Cosentino creates a Silestone® with the same mechanical and technical performance and an appearance that retains its timeless beauty while providing new design possibilities like in-depth, translucency, and blurring effects.

HybriQ+®, the version with a greater recycled component

HybriQ® is the general name of the technology used for the entire range of Silestone® colours, but Cosentino wanted to go further in its commitment to circularity and waste management.

The HybriQ+® version of Silestone® stands out for containing a minimum of 20 per cent recycled raw materials in its composition, such as recycled glass from bottles or windows. In 2020, the Silestone® Loft colour series was born under the HybriQ+® banner, and in the coming weeks, new collections will be launched to conquer the market with their cutting-edge design and state-of-the art production processes.

A firm and ongoing commitment from Cosentino

HybriQ® technology is the result of a great joint effort by Cosentino, which has invested millions of euros into the technology, and by its Innovation, Product, Production, Quality, Purchasing, Environment, Health and Safety teams, who have worked tirelessly on its development. Its development has required more than 1,200 hours of testing in laboratories and factories and an investment of more than 12 million euros (over $17.7 million CAD dollars), as the use of alternative raw materials to replace crystalline silica has been complex and heterogeneous. In terms of manufacturing, the use of these new mineral raw materials means an extra cost of around three million euros (over $4.4 million CAD dollars) per year, which is assumed by the company, with no increase in the price of Silestone®.

During these transitional months, the new technology has been progressively incorporated into the manufacturing of Silestone®. Cosentino’s clients worldwide, both fabricators and professionals in the sector, are already familiar with some of the products marketed with this technology.

The launch of HybriQ® is a further step in Cosentino’s commitment to its role as a sustainability leader within the industry. The company has been working for many years to raise awareness, education, risk prevention, and promote safe and healthy working conditions within the natural stone and alternative products processing and manufacturing sectors.