The engineered stone ban is here. Eco Surfaces’ Australia founder John Rakic explains what the legislative changes mean and shares a new Australian-made, eco-friendly benchtop alternative using recycled glass.
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A Passion for Sustainability: The Journey of Recycled Glass Benchtops
Already deeply involved in sustainable initiatives and recycling businesses, John Rakic, founder of Eco Surfaces, set out to create Recycled Glass Benchtops that would help divert unusable glass from landfills.
The added benefit: a silicosis-free alternative to engineered stone slabs.
“In one of our businesses, we had 30,000 tonnes of recycled and double-washed glass, ranging from fractions as small as 150 microns to 3-5mm in diameter. This material was collected from kerbside recycling via yellow and blue bins,” explains Rakic.
“We couldn’t bear the thought of sending all that glass to landfill. So, I took it upon myself to find a market for it. Initially, we sold it into the pool sand filtration and sandblasting industries. However, this only accounted for 20% of the volumes we were getting—and since pool filtration is a seasonal market, it wasn’t enough. The EPA regulations also restricted our ability to stockpile materials outdoors, complicating things further.”
From Landfill to Australian Homes: The Rise of Recycled Glass Benchtops
A discussion with Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla and Anirban Ghose from UNSW led to a breakthrough. The researchers wanted to trial some of the recycled glass to create floor tiles.
“Fast forward nearly six years, and we found a factory in South America capable of producing these benchtop slabs. After millions of dollars and hundreds of production trials, we lodged a patent for both the production process and the binder technology we developed,” says Rakic.
A Solution to the Silicosis Ban: Silica-Safe Recycled Glass Benchtops
With the introduction of Australia’s engineered stone ban, the need for an alternative became urgent. This spurred the launch of Eco Surfaces Australia and its silicosis-safe Recycled Glass Benchtops.
“Diverting tens of thousands of tonnes of unwanted recycled glass from landfill is an amazing achievement, but protecting stonemasons from silicosis feels like we’re truly making a difference. It’s a legacy that future generations can be proud of,” reflects Rakic.
While silica sand is a raw material used in glass production, the manufacturing process alters its crystalline structure into an amorphous state. This results in the final product—Recycled Glass Benchtops—containing less than 1% crystalline silica, making it a safe, eco-friendly option for Australian homes and businesses.
