Fabricator Profile: Edstein Creative Stone Embraces Recycling

Nadin-West-thAlthough Edstein Creative Stone is headquartered in New South Wales, Australia, the fabricator has learned a few valuable lessons and is saving money by embracing recycling and other sustainable practices.

Edstein Creative Stone was first established back in 1896 as a masonry monument business, and today, the company is one of the most technologically advanced natural stone and countertop fabricators in the world. A major aspect of its push into effective, efficient and automated processes began in 2009 when Edstein became a member of a state sustainability program known as NSW Sustainability Advantage.

Only one year after beginning the program, the company achieved bronze status, and in 2011, it reached the silver level. The company is still working to become a gold partner in the program but has already experienced several benefits. The only difficulty is that the company had to put up nearly $1 million in capital to complete all of the upgrades, which include an automated sawing line and polishing machine and an extended storage area.

From 2009 to 2012, Edstein Creative Stone experienced an energy cost savings of 25 percent or higher per unit of production, and over five years, the cost savings per unit is expected to decrease by 48 percent. Some of the initiatives the company has taken include water recycling and rainwater harvesting that has yielded a 96 percent reduction in water consumption and repurposing stone waste for decorative aggregate in concrete projects.

After completing its expansion product, the company now boats a 17,222-sq.ft. warehouse and a fabrication shop housing a Comandulli Omega 100 Edge Polisher, a Twin Table Thibaut M10 CNC machine and several other traditional and CNC saws. The company relies on countertop fabrication for 75 percent of its business and produces about 60 countertops per week.

Read more of this Fabricator Profile here: Edstein Creative Stone