ECO by Cosentino Joins Forces With Make it Right to Donate Eco-Friendly Kitchen Countertops for Green Homes in New Orleans

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- ECO™ by Cosentino (www.ecobycosentino.com), an innovative line of eco-friendly countertop and surfacing material composed of 75% recycled material, announces a new partnership with Make it Right in New Orleans, founded by actor and activist Brad Pitt.  This exciting venture underscores Cosentino Group's commitment to social responsibility and the advancement of sustainable architecture and design.

When more than 4,000 homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, Brad Pitt toured the deserted and devastated neighborhood and promised the families he met there, that he would help make it right. He founded the Make It Right foundation with the goal to build 150 affordable, green storm resistant homes for families to return to the area.  Now, with donations from ECO by Cosentino, the kitchens in the remaining homes will be fitted with state-of-the-art Cradle to Cradle certified kitchen countertops.

"We are proud to be collaborating with such an important organization and mission.  Make It Right is working hard to help families return to New Orleans post-Katrina.  More than that, they are building homes of the future with the latest green technology and material innovations.  The site is a showcase for sustainable architecture worldwide," says Lorenzo Marquez, VP of Marketing for Cosentino North America.

From its inception, the Make It Right project relied on the generosity of acclaimed local, national and international architects who donated their cutting-edge designs for single-family homes and duplexes, including Gehry Partners, GRAFT, and William McDonough + Partners. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, "Make It Right is building the largest, greenest neighborhood of single family homes in America." Make It Right homes have earned the highest distinction for energy efficiency and sustainability, LEED Platinum, by integrating and aggregating a variety of cutting edge construction materials and techniques.

"On behalf of Brad Pitt and Make It Right, we are thrilled to be a part of ECO by Cosentino's endeavors," says Tom Darden, Executive Director of Make It Right.  "We rely on the generous product donations from companies like Cosentino and can not thank them enough for helping us to rebuild this great city," he adds.

Product selections for the Make It Right homes are strictly evaluated based on C2C thinking, developed and popularized by architect William McDonough, which suggests that everything we create can contribute positively to society, the economy, and the environment.  The William McDonough + Partners team helps guide the design process and materials used in the new Make It Right homes. Both the products and construction methods used must be safe for people and the environment.

ECO by Cosentino is composed of 75% post-industrial and post-consumer recycled raw material, including: mirrors salvaged from houses, building and factories; glass from windows and bottles; porcelain from china, tiles, sinks, toilets and decorative elements; industrial furnace residuals from factories in the form of crystallized ashes; stone scrap from mountains, quarries, manufacturing, and fabrication.  The raw materials are bonded together with a proprietary eco-friendly resin made in part by corn oil.

ECO by Cosentino's unique make-up of recycled materials is achieved through state-of-the-art technology and delivers a hard durable surface that has high stain, scratch and scorch performance. ECO is non-porous and does not require sealers.  By utilizing these recycled materials, Cosentino is "upcycling" products that have reached the end of their lifecycle – meaning that they cannot be incorporated in to any other industrial product and would otherwise collect in landfill sites.  According to Cosentino, the production of ECO by Cosentino is expected to re-use the equivalent of 60,000,000 glass bottles every year. ECO by Cosentino is C2C and GREENGUARD certified, making it a natural fit for the Make It Right homes.

"ECO by Cosentino matches the durability of quartz surfaces, exceeds the performance of more conventional materials such as granite and marble, and is dramatically less damaging to the environment.  It is the ideal product for today's eco-minded consumer who seeks performance and sustainability, without sacrificing design," said Valentin Tijeras Garcia, Director of Product Innovation, Cosentino Group.

ECO™ by Cosentino is available in jumbo slabs of 63"x 128" and standard tile sizes of 12"x 12", 18"x 18" and 24"x 24" in 1.2cm, 2cm and 3cm thickness.  It is available in two sophisticated color palettes - the Revive collection and the Green collection - totaling 10 individual designer colors, suitable for both commercial and residential projects. Pricing ranges from $68 - $118 per square foot, depending on thickness and color.  For more information visit www.ecobycosentino.com.

Media Contact:

For more information, please contact Sharp Communications, Inc., at (212) 829-0002. Trade Press: Chrissy Gaffney, Ext. 104, [email protected]. Consumer Press: Johanna Scott, Ext. 110, [email protected]

For Make It Right, please contact: Taylor Royle, [email protected]

About Cosentino Group

Cosentino Group, a worldwide leader in the distribution of natural stone, quartz surfaces and recycled surfaces now has a presence in 50 countries and has six factories, 14 quarries, 17 fabricating factories and more than 2,100 employees all over the world.  With 11 manufacturing lines, Cosentino is the largest manufacturer of natural quartz surfaces in the world. The company covers the entire process of producing natural stone products including quarrying, manufacturing, fabricating and installing surfaces, such as kitchen and bathroom countertops, wall cladding and many other applications. In 2008, Cosentino received ISO 14001 Certification for its environmental management, measurement, evaluation, and auditing practices.  The multinational group is present with own branches in 15 countries: Cosentino HQ in Spain, Cosentino North America (U.S., Canada and Mexico), Cosentino The Netherlands, Cosentino Belgium, Cosentino UK, Cosentino Ireland, Cosentino Deutschland, Cosentino Austria, Cosentino Scandinavia, Cosentino Swiss, Cosentino Portugal, Cosentino Italia, Cosentino France, Cosentino Latina Vitoria (Brazil). The Cosentino Group family of brands include: Silestone Natural Quartz with built-in antimicrobial protection; ECO by Cosentino™, an eco-friendly line of surface material made of 75% recycled post-consumer and post-industrial content; SenSa® Granite with SenGuard® offering a 15-year warranty against staining; Scalea Natural Stone, which includes marble, travertine and soapstone; Marlique™ Marble, enhanced marble for vanities; MURO™ Mosaics, pre-meshed tiles made with recycled Silestone; and the Prexury™ Collection, a semi-precious stone line handmade by expert craftsmen. For more information, visit www.cosentinonorthamerica.com.

SOURCE Cosentino Group