• According to the Neolith Trends Book, the future of humanity lies in achieving a natural balance with the planet which is a medium to long-term challenge which greatly depends on technological advances particularly in the area of recycling and re-use.
  
  

• A third of all consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, and companies must work so sustainability can become the expectation and not the exception.
  
  

• Neolith presented a new generation of sintered stone surfaces known as 98R, which are manufactured with 98% recycled materials. The all-new formula is part of the company’s sustainability strategy and “Zero Waste” policy as it has also been Carbon Neutral since 2019.

The future of humanity lies in achieving a natural balance with the planet, according to the Neolith Trends Book. It’s a medium to long-term challenge, the success of which greatly depends on technological advances particularly in the area of recycling and re-use. According to the authors, “We’re in the era of researching materials, innovating and transferring these results to commercial use so we can all contribute and access environmentally-friendly developments”.

The Simon-Kucher & Partners 2021 Global Sustainability Study based on more than 10,000 interviews with consumers in 17 countries reveals global changes in the way users see sustainability and the generational differences associated with a willingness to pay more for sustainable products and services. According to this study, a third of all consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, and companies must work so sustainability can become the expectation and not the exception.

The natural balance in Neolith

Ever since it first began operations, Neolith has been developing an environmentally-friendly business strategy based on policies to reduce its impact with practices such as material recycling and especially re-use. And this is why the company has a new generation of sintered stone surfaces known as 98R, which are manufactured with 98% recycled materials.

The formula is part of the company’s sustainability strategy and “Zero Waste” policy as a way to drive the circular economy all while maintaining the guarantee and quality labels inherent to Neolith as well as its excellent technical properties and cutting-edge designs.

Neolith Metropolitan, one of the models that uses the 98R formula, for the outdoor paving at a residential home.

The new Neolith materials are making a big impact on the world of architecture where reducing the carbon footprint of buildings is now a requirement, as solutions can be created with more efficient lifecycles by offering users a recycled product that maintains all the technical characteristics and design beauty which have always made Neolith stand out in the market.

“Greener” consumers

Irrespective of attitudes by age, country and sector, 85% of all users have become “greener” in their consumer habits. Sustainability is now a key buying criterion for 60% of them and 49% are purchasing fewer physical items because they’re not necessary. Moreover, 67% of the conscious consumption measures adopted during the pandemic have been ingrained in people’s minds and now standardized in their day-to-day.

One reflection of this trend can be found in the Green Stars now being used by the Michelin Guide to distinguish restaurants that combine “culinary excellence with outstanding eco-friendly commitments”.

A New Era of Respect

2024 is set to be the great era of respect for new behavioral models such as zero waste generation, upcycling instead of recycling, and the transformation of leftover food and plants into materials.

Repairing instead of buying. Refilling as an alternative to using and throwing away an endless quantity of plastic packaging. Reusing before recycling... these are the rules underlying a social change that’s becoming reality which prioritizes any action involving less consumption and longer lifecycles. The trend is beginning to be seen in luxury brands in the beauty and fashion sector which are aiming to eliminate packaging and recycle materials, leaving the “use and throw out” mentality far behind, aware of where each item thrown out ends up.

Keys to reducing consumption and achieving longer lifecycles:

• Repair and Care: Using products that can be repaired and taking care of them to achieve longer lifecycles.
• Refilling: Using reusable packaging instead of disposable packaging.
• Zero Waste: Reusing, conserving and recovering waste without burning it or creating dumps that threaten the environment and people’s health.
• Recycling: Producing useful materials from waste which can be re-used.

Find out more about the Neolith sustainability plan.