Sustainability
Stone waste is an issue not highlighted in the news. Most people cannot fathom the loss of an entire mountain peak - but it's happening. Around the world, mountains are disappearing and what's worse 60% of the quarried material is considered waste. Whether its at the mining site or more locally at a countertop fabricator.
AE Recycled Granite has pioneered the industry of recycling stone waste. Working in a partnership with our local countertop fabricators in Tucson and Phoenix, we create a 3rd party product responsibility model and keep stone remnants out of our landfills. Our products are environmentally beautiful, as well as beautiful in design. It's not easy recycling stone, we always joke that we should've recycled feathers, but the rewards out-weigh the challenges. Mountains are worth saving!
Saving the Mountains
Every year millions of tons of our planet's mountains are being turned into waste. The process starts at the quarry in which 15 - 73% of the stone being extracted can be considered inferior and becomes scrap. Add onto that the 6 - 69% of the stone that enters the fabrication industry leaves as waste and you have a mountain-sized problem. With the U.S. being the number one importer of dimension stone products in the world this solid waste topic should be mainstream.
In Arizona, there's no mining operations for countertop slabs, so we are literally importing solid waste to toss into our local, already over-burdened landfills. With Phoenix and Tucson already one of the highest in the country for solid waste disposal, this has become a crisis in our state. With countertop sales expected to increase 17% by 2018, this problem is only going to strain the municipalities even more.
AE Recycled Granite is an authority on stone waste and the impact it has on a local and global level. Working as a manufacturer of Recycled Granite products in Arizona for 7 years, we stay up-to-date on importation numbers, waste statistics for natural stone, current remediation models and recycling procedures.
Interested in having an AE Recycled Granite owner speak at your next school, conference, sustainability series or environmental program?
Email info@aerecycledgranite.com and put Education Request in the subject line.
We have curriculum for elementary schools through trade professionals.
Creating a New Industry in Arizona
AE Recycled Granite is a new type of manufacturer to Arizona, offering solid granite building materials made from recycled stone. Our process does not crush and reform the stone with any kind of chemical, but instead reshapes it into a viable product. Every product we manufacture is crafted to specific standards to give you a beautiful addition to your project.
Our products are LEED qualifying and we maintain a strict standard for raw material sourcing. We guarantee that all the products we manufacture are made from remnant stone pieces that were headed for our local landfills.
Unlike many recycling companies that ship waste material outside the U.S. to be reprocessed, AE Recycled Granite picks up the waste, recycles the natural stone and manufactures our innovative products right here in Arizona. This closed-loop cycle allows us to have the largest impact on our local solid waste stream and keeps us from generating unnecessary pollution to create the end product.
Our Pavers and Split Stone Tiles conform to ANSI and ASTM standards. When you order from us we'll assist you in installation, whether you're hiring or deciding to be a DIY weekend warrior. We'll also tell you exactly how many pounds of gorgeous, natural stone you are keeping out of the waste stream - so take pride in your project!
