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Is Engineered Stone Banned in Australia?
Understanding the engineered stone ban in Australia
With recent changes in regulations, many of our customers are asking if Caesarstone is banned in Australia, as well as if engineered stone has been banned in Europe and other regions.
It is important to understand that Caesarstone is the brand name and engineered stone is the product. Caesarstone the company is not banned it is those products defined as ‘engineered stone’ which has been banned irrespective of the supplier’s brand name.
Caesarstone has a number of beautifully designed substitute products for selection that are the ideal solution for applications such as kitchen benchtops, bathrooms, laundries and more.
At Caesarstone, we have been proactively working on making stone production and processes safer and have anticipated and advocated for restrictions around the engineered stone industry, so we have been preparing for this change.
Come 1st July 2024, engineered stone will no longer be sold in Australia.
(Subject to final government decisions we believe contracts entered into prior to December 13th, 2023, will be able to be supplied any of the Caesarstone collection).
Leading up to this date, the sale and installation of engineered stone will continue and post July 1, Caesarstone will offer Caesarstone Mineral™ Crystalline Silica Free surfaces for applications such as kitchen benchtops. Along with the Caesarstone Porcelain collection of surfaces ideal for a variety of applications within your home including kitchen benchtops, bathrooms, laundries and outdoor dining areas.
Our response to the engineered stone ban.
The engineered stone industry is evolving, and so are we.
Since 1987, Caesarstone has been Australia’s leading supplier of engineered stone for over 30 years. Over this time, we have heavily invested in the research and development of safer products and processes, we are proud to be leaders in innovation and change in our industry and excited about the evolution of our products.
As part of our commitment to continuous innovation, we have replicated 34 of our most loved market-leading colours and designs to a new crystalline silica-free material blend which will retain the same ease of fabrication and functional performance characteristics as current materials. Same designs, new material blend, Caesarstone Mineral™ Crystalline Silica Free surfaces are the ideal surface solution for kitchen benchtops, splashbacks and applications in bathrooms, laundries, furniture and commercial interiors.
In addition, Caesarstone® have introduced new designs into our Porcelain collection.
Our Porcelain brings additional functional performance to kitchen benchtops as well as being UV resistant and suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Every Caesarstone® surface has a lifetime warranty, which is not impacted by these changes.
The Caesarstone Mineral™ design collection will only be available in the new crystalline silica free material blend from July 1st 2024.
Caesarstone is well advanced in transitioning from our previous low silica formula to the new crystalline silica free material blend, with many of our most loved colours and designs already available; with the full collection concluding latter in 2024.
These products offer the same high-quality aesthetic and durability that Caesarstone is known for, while aligning with the new safety standards. They are developed with cutting-edge technologies and are produced with a unique blend of natural minerals, advanced innovative materials, and recycled materials, such as recycled glass.
Because our commitment to innovation and safety drives us to develop materials that meet the highest standards of environmental sustainability, our transition to crystalline silica free products is a natural progression towards more sustainable products that ensure safer working conditions for our industry.
The future of engineered stone in Australia and beyond
The trend is clear: there is a move towards safer, more sustainable materials used in industries; and we are at the forefront of this shift to ensure that our products meet not only Australian standards but also global expectations.
We are leading the way in safe and stylish surfaces
We understand that our customers want surfaces that are sustainably beautiful and pose no risk of harm to workers during the manufacturing and fabrication of their benchtops. Our crystalline silica free mineral surface is designed with this in mind.
Whether you’re renovating your kitchen, designing a new bathroom, or working on a commercial project, you can trust Caesarstone to provide surfaces that are as safe as they are beautiful.
