Following recent national media coverage examining respirable crystalline silica exposure within the stone industry, including a Sky News investigation into the future of engineered stone materials in the UK, Königstone has outlined the work it has undertaken over the past three years to transition towards zero-crystalline silica alternatives. The company began evaluating low and zero-crystalline silica materials in 2023, initially introducing them on a phased basis to assess real-world fabrication, product performance and customer acceptance before committing to a wider transition.
Click here to watch Kate Barnfield’s Sky News report.
James Bull of Königstone explains “Recent media attention has focused on whether viable alternatives exist at scale. We’ve spent the last three years testing exactly that question. Our experience is that consumers don’t need to compromise on design, performance or price to move away from crystalline silica.”
Königstone’s KönigZero range has been developed as a direct alternative to traditional quartz worksurfaces and today spans 28 colours and designs intended to meet the needs of mainstream kitchen retailers and consumers. The company says one of the most significant discoveries during the transition has been just how little difference consumers notice between the products.
“From a homeowner’s perspective, the products look the same, perform the same and are available across a full range of designs,” Bull continued. “The key difference is that KönigZero is manufactured without crystalline silica.”
The design flexibility of these next-generation materials can be seen in recent projects such as the thermoformed KönigZero display installed at Diane Berry Kitchens
The move follows extensive testing and validation of both product performance and customer acceptance.
Since beginning its transition programme, Königstone has completed thousands of installations using low and zero-crystalline silica materials without any increase in customer call-backs or reported performance issues. Bull believes the emergence of commercially viable alternatives changes the conversation for the industry; “Quartz can be fabricated safely when the correct controls are in place. However, ensuring those controls are applied consistently across such a broad industry remains a challenge. As better alternatives became available, we committed significant time to testing their safety, fabrication characteristics and long-term performance. Once we were satisfied on all three fronts, the decision to move became straightforward.”
The company plans to continue accelerating the rollout of its KönigZero range as part of its strategy to phase out traditional quartz materials by 2027. While acknowledging the importance of regulation and enforcement, Bull believes future progress will come from a combination of improved standards and increased adoption of alternative materials; “Standards and enforcement are absolutely essential and will continue to play an important role. Equally, awareness needs to start earlier in the process, with designers, retailers and specifiers considering safer material choices from the outset. For us, this is ultimately about continuous improvement. Where better materials can deliver the same outcome, it makes sense to embrace that progress.”
For further information on Königstone, please visit www.konigstone.co.uk.
Image Credit: Diane Berry Kitchens
