Recycled Countertops are a Smart, Ecofriendly Choice!

Today there are so many kitchen counter top options for designers.  Of course there are the classics such as formica, stainless steel and granite, but over the last few years many recycled countertops have been emerging on the market.  While each has their own advantages, recycled content countertops have many benefits in addition to being eco-friendly.

While individual recycled countertops many vary between manufacturers, what they all have in common is that they’re made primarily of post-industrial and post-consumer recycled materials.  This may include any of the following: glass, mirrors, ceramics and porcelains (think toilets, tubs and dishes).  They are then likely mixed with recycled micronized glass, post-industrial crystallized ash (produced during burning of charcoal in industrial furnaces), quarry waste, pigments and a vegetable-based resin binder. There are a few different manufacturing techniques, which essentially consist of intense vibrations, compaction and vacuum to densify and harden the material, baking in a high efficiency vertical oven, and then honing and/or polishing of the finished slab.

Some of the advantages of recycled countertops include: 

• Mold & Mildew Resistant because of low porosity

• Scratch Resistant (not scratch proof) — only quartz performs better

• Stain Resistant

• Heat & Scorch Resistant

• Maintenance Free — only warm water and mild detergent needed for cleaning.  The surface is non-porous, so no sealing is required.

• Large Color Palette and Design Options

Recycled countertops slabs are quite heavy, so as with any cumbersome countertop material, proper support should be used.  Metropolis Iron’s large line of countertop support brackets/corbels are designed with function in mind and can bear the weight of most recycled countertop designs.  For oversized countertops we also product custom sized corbels to bear the weight of any load.  Our countertop support brackets come in an array of designs, finishes, and sizes.

Compared to other countertop materials, there is little to no destruction of the earth required to mine recycled countertops, little to no waste or polluted water during the manufacturing process, which results in highly durable, large slabs of countertop that are ecofriendly!