Apollo recycled glass success

APOLLO MISSION PROVING A BIG SUCCESS FOR SHERIDAN

Dave Mercer, Installations Director, Sheridan Fabrications Our regular ‘On the Surface’ feature focusses on BiKBBI Installation Standards Partner, Sheridan Fabrications Ltd’s exciting new Apollo Recycled Glass product. Installations Director Dave Mercer shares with us how the concept came from drawing board to successful launch in the market:

In recent years, we have seen unprecedented changes in our technology and environment, which have fundamentally changed the way we do things. We have never been more aware of our impact on the world around us, and this has led to a rise in demand for ethically sourced, environmentally friendly products.

Every year the UK sends around 200,000 tonnes of glass to landfill, which is around 50% of our total usage. As a material, glass is fully recyclable, saving around 20% on emissions and 50% in water pollution when re-used, as opposed to when manufactured from scratch.

We decided that from our position as one of the market’s leading suppliers that we were in an ideal position to help drive the industry towards a more responsible use of materials. Accordingly, in 2017, we began research and development of a recycled glass product that needed to match certain criteria in order to be considered a success. The following constituted our wish-list:

For our new product to be viable as an eco-friendly surface, we needed to be sure that it was both high-performing and long-lasting. To do this, we drew from our experience of working with Quartz. The result was a surface with the same impressive strength and hygienic properties, which we could guarantee under the Sheridan 10 year manufacturer warranty.

Appearance

The material is very tactile so we thought it critical that our customers were able touch the product to appreciate it, furthermore, we thought it important for them to see it ‘in the flesh’ so to speak as the chips we use in Apollo Recycled Glass are much larger, which gives the surface its’ own unique look.

Price

Consumer demand is the real driving force for change, so we wanted to make our new product to be accessible for the average budget. Apollo Recycled Glass is priced similarly to the lower bands of Silestone, and to our own veined range of Apollo Quartz worktops.

From the initial idea, we began to experiment with different mixes of minerals, binders, and manufacturing processes until we settled on a functional prototype. Because we had planned a national rollout through our retail and commercial partners, our next challenge was to make sure the concept was scalable. We set about a lengthy process of sourcing consistent and dependable sources of recycled glass; which matched the most popular kitchen décors and fascias. We eventually settled on a solution whereby we would treat and colour the glass before crushing, thus ensuring that we could consistently reproduce our designs with effective quality control.

After 18 months of development, we began to rollout the first Apollo Recycled Glass surfaces. The result is a beautiful, high performance and environmentally conscious product with its own unique character.

Apollo Recycled Glass is visually stunning as it elevates the natural qualities of Quartz to a three dimensional concept. Each crystal embeds its own intricate contours 

deep into the surface, while as a whole the material casually scatters light with pearlescent flavour, creating a natural sparkle which is completely unique to this material.

Beneath the top face of the surface, crushed glass fragments add a subtle glisten which is more apparent in the Blue Star variant. The stylish colouring of Blue Star offers a glance of the future of this product, teasing the potential for innovative new combinations of colours and textures for this material which as yet is in its infancy. Reception so far has been extremely positive, with sales outstripping forecasts within the first few months of its launch. This encourages us that there is definitely an appetite in the market for Apollo Recycled Glass, and with new styles on the horizon, we are extremely optimistic about its commercial viability for the future.

www.sheridan-uk.com

Sources: 200,000 tonnes, half material: here. 20% air pollution: here.

Beneath the top face of the surface, crushed glass fragments add a subtle glisten