AUSTRALIAN SANDSTONE THE ETHICAL CHOICE

Selecting sustainable materials for the construction of buildings and landscapes also comes with ethical considerations, and careful thought and planning at the outset of the project can provide a positive return that reaches beyond the project itself.

Natural sandstone is a great option as it’s a product of the earth; it contains no harmful chemicals or toxins and is widely available throughout Australia, particularly NSW and Queensland. The products are extracted and processed regionally, which reduce environmental impacts by limiting greenhouse gasses during transportation. Always ask your supplier if the stone is both quarried AND processed locally (some Australian stones are sent to Asia for processing) and, if not, do they actively seek to limit the impact of transport. 

Despite its location in Central Queensland, Capricorn Sandstone Quarries only uses backloads for long-distance transport to southern Queensland, NSW and VIC to avoid expelling unnecessary gas emissions. Moreover, the energy required to produce a sandstone wall is less than 1/3 of that required for a brick or concrete block wall. 

Factory processing can range from rudimentary to advanced, modern and efficient. Labour practices and health considerations should be a primary motivator, particularly given the potential health consequences from manual cutting, splitting and handling of bulky and heavy material.

Capricorn Sandstone Quarries has for many years recognised the importance of workers’ health and wellbeing, and employs a wide range of handling and lifting solutions. Additionally, all cutting processes are wet to exclude dust generation. Its factory is fitted with a range of modern European cutting and splitting equipment to produce products with minimal manual effort - traditionally the backbreaking domain of the stonemason.

While not all factories in Australia employ such labour-friendly machines and processes, buying 100 percent Australian-made products is well worthwhile for the support it provides to the human capital and economy of this country.

Recycling is important not only for water – Capricorn Sandstone Quarries recycles up to 10 million litres of water every year – but also for stone resources. Demolition stone is often available as old sandstone buildings are torn down and provides a great source of quality stone, in addition to helping preserve a bit of history.

But what about the large volumes of stone quarried today? Capricorn Sandstone Quarries’ huge stone resource is never taken for granted, with advanced processing machinery used to turn offcuts and waste stone into useful and cost-effective products, ranging from broken rock used as boulders, through to offcuts being reprocessed as garden edging or wall cladding.

Natural sandstone can bring many benefits for your next project, from the beauty and insulating properties of the material, to the flow-on effect for the Australian environment and its workforce, to sourcing the product from a sustainable and ethical local supplier. Sometimes Australian sandstone may be perceived as more expensive than an imported product, but with modern processing techniques, Capricorn Sandstone Quarries can produce most products cost-effectively, ethically and sustainably – a win for everyone involved.

Contact Capricorn Sandstone Quarries today to source ethical sandstone for your next project via the links below.