Engineered Stone Ban - Alternative Kitchen Benchtop Options

If you have ever built or renovated in Australia before, you will know that engineered stone has been one of the most used kitchen benchtop materials around Australia. 

It's a material that has dominated the market for almost two decades, offering a durable and low maintenance option for builders and renovators. 

However, in July 2024, Worksafe and the Australia government introduced a world first ban on the cutting and importation of engineered stone across all states and territories. 

This was due to a national media campaign, highlighting the increasing rates of silicosis. A potentially fatal lung disease, caused by the taking in of crystalline silica dust particles, which are introduced into the air when engineered stone is fabricated. 

What is Engineered Stone?

Engineered stone, also known by quartz, is a man made material that is made by mixing crushed stone materials with binders, typically made from resin and artificial pigments. These resins, binders and pigment allow engineered stone to be created in a way that somewhat represents natural stone, with different vein patterns and styles to suit a range of project types. 

Due to its cost effectiveness and durable nature against natural stone and quartzites, engineered stone was seen as a suitable alternative by many builders, cabinet makers and designers. 

Engineered Stone Ban in Australia

With recorded deaths and cases of silicosis rising around Australia, the Australian government made the decision to ban high crystalline silica engineered stone on July 1, 2024.

When Did The Ban on Engineered Stone Start?

The original announcement of a potential ban on engineered stone came from Worksafe Australia through a publication around their Decision Regulation Impact Statement: Prohibition on the Use of Engineered Stone (Decision RIS).

This publication and their statement recommended the ban on the use of all engineered stone products, regardless of how much crystalline silica it contained. This decision was made with the protection of industry workers in mind as it recognised the growing cases of silicosis. 

Prior to that in 2021, Worksafe Victoria even took the step to introducing a mandatory licencing scheme for stonemasons. This meant their facility had to be inspected by Worksafe Victoria to ensure they complied with safer wet cutting and dust monitoring protocols.

New Engineered Stone Offerings Available

Prior to this announcement, brands had begun their transition to creating a low crystalline silica offering. This meant bringing the total crystalline silica content under 10%, as there was still uncertainty on what the final decision from Worksafe and local governments would be.

Brands were successful in creating these products in a short time, only to then be told about the complete ban, which meant transitioning their products to a less than 1% crystalline silica base. 

What is the new engineered stone made from?

These new engineered stone products are made from micronized glass, which contains amorphous silica. Amorphous silica is a non-crystalline silica form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). This has been deemed a safe form of silica and approved for use in these new glass-based engineered stone products. 

Micronized glass is a very fine ground glass powder, where the particles are so small that they are measured in microns. This is used for fillers in products like coatings, plastics on concrete to enhance their mechanical strength. 

Slabs also contain polyester resin, which is a synthetic plastic or resin used in construction products, packaging and electrical insulation. 

What Can Home Owners and Builders Do Now?

Firstly, there is no need to be concerned if your existing kitchen benchtops are made from high crystalline silica engineered stone. Once fabricated and installed, there is no dust particle release, meaning they are perfectly safe and there is no need to remove them. 

However, if you are planning to remove your old benchtops, there are suitable and safer alternatives on the market, including our very own range of Techlam Sintered Porcelain.

Since September 1, 2024 all tradespeople are now required by law to comply with new Work Health and Safety Regulations for the handling or any material containing at least 1% crystalline silica. 

By not abiding by these new rules, fabricators and suppliers face large fines and the potential shut down of business practices. 

What Are the Alternatives to Engineered Stone?

Thankfully, there are many options to engineered stone and the new glass based offerings. Solutions that are safer, more natural and in some cases, even stronger and more durable, like our Techlam Sintered Range. 

Natural Stone & Granite Benchtops

Natural stone has always been a popular option for homeowners wanting to make a statement piece in their homes. Natural stones like marble, granite, quartzite and travertine are all available options for the concerned home owner. 

Pros and cons of natural stone benchtops

Natural stones are a great option where design is more important than price of practicality. However when dealing with a natural stone like marble for examples, you need to be very aware that

1. Marble is very porous, meaning it stains easily
2. It's very expensive when looking at Carrara's and Calacatta's
3. It's very soft in comparison to sintered stone and can chip and scratch easily
4. Quartzites are very hard and can be very expensive and hard to fabricate
5. Granites are very heavy and expensive due to limited availability (on some styles)

Mineral Engineered Stone Benchtops

With the introduction of these new mineral (glass) based benchtops, a lot of questions still remain due to how young these products are.

Question like:

1. Will they still be usable in 12-18 months from now?
2. How will the glass content effect durability and future use?
3. With glass prices increasing, can the brands keep costs down?
4. Are all slabs being imported under 1% crystalline silica consistently?

With so many questions still unanswered, the future use of these mineral benchtops remains uncertain. Limited testing data and historical use case information means that only time will tell. 

Sintered Stone Benchtops

With so many options on the market today, what sets sintered stone a part from the rest? Heavily used throughout Europe and sometimes called a "Porcelain Benchtop", Sintered Stone is the ultimate in safety, durability and beauty that you can rely on for safe use in your home. 

Our Techlam Sintered Collection is a 100% government approved stone material and was never banned or regulated by the Australia government.

This is due to the fact that sintered stone is a 100% natural material and features up to 95% recycled materials in every slab. 

What are the benefits of Sintered Stone?

1. It's safe - Featuring natural materials and no toxic binders, chemicals or resins
2. Incredible durability - with complete heat, stain, scratch and even UV resistance
3. It's proven - Used in over 100 countries around the globe since 2007
4. Easy to cut and install - Unique to Asetica, our Techlam collection is one of the easiest to fabricate and install sintered surfaces in Australia
5. European made quality and using the finest quality ingredients, sourced locally
6. It's far more affordable than natural stones and quartzites.
7. It can be used anywhere indoors or outdoors unlike engineered stone. 

That's why designers are choosing Asetica all over Australia thanks to it's beautiful look, durability and exceptional performance. 

What is Techlam Sintered Stone?

Techlam Sintered Stone was created in 2007 be Levantina Group, Spain. Levantina are one of the worlds oldest producers of Crema Marble and natural marble surfaces and have been in operation since 1959.

Levantina recognised the need for an ultra durable, lightweight and dynamic surface design. A design that had a broader range of benefits such as heat, stain, scratch and even sun resistant technology. It's a surface that can be used in an incredible array of designs, from kitchen benchtops and splashbacks, all the way to external building facades. 


Featured: Techlam Tambora - External Facade Design

Now used in over 100 countries around the globe, Techlam surfaces is a leader in sustainable, natural and safe sintered design and is one of the most trusted brands in the world. 

What is Techlam Sintered Stone Made From?

Thanks to a 100% natural base, Techlam is the truly safe option for savvy designers and builders looking for sustainable, safe and natural stone surface for their projects. 

Techlam Sintered Stone Contains:

• Kaolin (A natural clay formed from granite rocks)
• Talc (A natural occurring mineral from from magnesium)
• Flux raw materials (Such as limestone and zinc)
• Natural pigments
• Natural residues

This 100% natural base is fired and produced under incredible heat and pressure (up to 30tonnes) and compressed into a slab. This makes it ultra durable towards heat, stain, scratches and even chipping and cracking. 

The End of High Crystalline Silica Engineered Stone

As Australia now adapts to this new emerging kitchen benchtop class of mineral glass surfaces, many questions still arise. 

As a renovator or builder it is important to shop around. Be sure to look at all options in the marketplace before making a final decision on the products you put inside your home. 

Your future self will thank you for it.