Centering Sustainability

New offerings from KBIS demonstrate how interiors brands are making serious improvements to lighten their footprints.

By Sophie Aliece Hollis

At the beginning of each year, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) gives product brands across a wide spectrum of interior applications the opportunity to showcase their latest wares and innovations. More and more, the concept of sustainability has made its way into the marketing campaigns of the manufacturers in this space. Unfortunately, in the face of this elevated ecoconsciousness, a pattern of “greenwashing” has emerged. With so many convoluted metrics for sustainability and misleading marketing initiatives, many brands that claim to be peddling “sustainable” products have, in reality, done little to restructure their manufacturing processes and outputs to better serve the planet. While independent research is always encouraged when specifying products, AN Interior has gathered a series of products released at this year’s show that demonstrate in-depth research and development into sustainable processes. This systematic overhaul carried out by the brands below show how some companies have established sustainability as a key tenet of their ethos and operations.

Beko’s HarvestFresh refrigerator mimics the natural cycle of the sun using energy efficient, three-color light technology that both preserves vitamins A and C and keeps produce fresh for up to 30 days beyond average lifespan. Blue, green, and red lights cycle throughout the day to preserve minerals and freshness, reducing unnecessary food waste and trips to the grocery store. beko.com

The Kohler WasteLAB was developed in 2019 to rethink and repurpose waste streams throughout the brand’s massive bathroom product manufacturing operation. Composed almost entirely of recycled waste materials, the Abstra collection is a series of brushed and matte tiles for both residential and commercial applications. By leveraging the wastewater stream of Kohler’s porcelain production, the WasteLAB was able to create a usable tile base material almost entirely from recycled pottery waste clay and glaze.

BY DANIEL GERMANI Cosentino

cosentino.com bertazzoni.com

Spanish surface giant Cosentino has added three new styles to its Dekton line with the introduction of Pietra Kode, a play on classic Italian stones by architect and designer Daniel Germani. Carbon neutral through its entire lifecycle, Dekton surface technology was introduced in 2013 and has resulted in a 7 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the global brand. Pietra Kode delivers the familiar natural stone patterns of Travertine, Vicenza, and Ceppo di Gré without depleting natural deposits. Dekton’s patented, ultradurable surface technology is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

A long standard practice in Europe, induction cooking seems to finally be catching on in the United States. By using electromagnetic forces to heat pans and food directly, this method of cooking reduces the heat (and therefore energy) loss common in both gas and electric cooking. This 36” XT Induction Built-in Cooktop from Bertazzoni is 100 percent carbon neutral and delivers heat 60 percent faster than regular cooktops. It’s integrated downdraft ventilation also relieves the need for a range hood, both cutting costs and increasing installation flexibility.