Cambria- a Green Building Product, Now and for the Future.
At Cambria, we're committed to environmental responsibility in both our product offerings and business practices. Managing and minimizing
our impact on the environment is an important part of our culture. As the only producer of natural quartz surfaces in the United
States, Cambria offers distinct advantages in the areas of environmental health, safety and sustainability.
Cambria is committed to environmental responsibility in its product
offerings and business practices.
Product Attributes
- Natural quartz; strong, durable and long lasting.
- Cambria is nonporous and nonabsorbant, and therefore resists stains from common household items such as coffee, tea, and wine.
- As the only quartz countertop produced in the USA, Cambria has lower transportation
requirements than other quartz surfacing products produced in the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
- Cambria is GREENGUARD For Children and SchoolsSM certified.
- Cambria is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®.
- Cambria can contribute to projects achieving LEED points.
- Cambria is certified by NSF International
(Standard 51-Food Equipment Materials) as safe for use as a food preparation surface.
- Cambria is radon free.
Business Practices
- 100% of the water in production plants is recycled, and Cambria recycles water from an on-site storm drainage pond to water the grounds of the manufacturing plant.
- The Department of Energy (DOE) works with Cambria to implement
energy saving procedures at Cambria facilities.
- Cambria's fleet vehicles include hybrids (Toyota Prius).
- A-frame shipping crates that transport slabs and fabricated product
are recycled and refurbished.
- All diamond-metal tooling is retooled and re-used.
- Scrap material is collected and used as road base material on local
construction projects.
- All computer equipment and batteries are recycled.
- General office waste is recycled (paper, plastics, ink cartridges, etc.).
- Collateral & sales materials are printed on Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) certified paper.
- Environmental best practices are promoted through training programs
at Cambria University.
All Natural Quartz - Durable and Everlasting - Cambria is 93% quartz, twice as strong as granite and will last far longer than other
stone and laminated countertop materials.
Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces™ have a lower "carbon footprint" compared with other imported quartz products -
Cambria is made from quartz primarily mined in North America. Cambria is the only quartz product made in the United
States. It is produced and shipped from Minnesota to North American partners, then to the end user. Other quartz
products, primarily manufactured in the Middle East, Asia and Europe, require greater shipping and transportation
resources than Cambria.
Cambria GREENGUARD Certification - Why it Matters - GREENGUARD
certification offers consumers the independent assurance that
Cambria has no impact on indoor air quality.
GREENGUARD: Indoor Air Quality - Cambria is GREENGUARD Indoor Air
Quality Certified® by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) under
the GREENGUARD Standard for Low Emitting Products.
GREENGUARD: Children & Schools - Children are more heavily exposed
to environmental toxins than adults. They consume more food, water, and
have higher inhalation rates per pound of body weight than adults1.
Cambria is proud to be GREENGUARD for Children & SchoolsSM certified
by the GEI as safe for schools and daycare. Cambria also complies with
State of California's Department of Health Services (CDHS) Standard Practice for testing chemical emissions, a more stringent certification
than GREENGUARD's Indoor Air Quality certification, and can be used to earn valuable credits in the CDHS Best Practices
Manual for K-12 schools.
LEED Eligibility - Cambria’s GREENGUARD certifications mean that Cambria meets the GEI's indoor air standards for low chemical and particle emissions and may help projects achieve LEED points towards certification. To learn more about Cambria's LEED eligibility under the LEED Rating Systems, visit our LEED Eligibility page.
NSF International Certification - For more than 60 years, NSF International
has helped protect consumers by certifying products and writing standards for
food, water, air and consumer goods. As an independent, not-for-profit organization,
NSF's ongoing public health commitment is to encourage everyone to live
safer. Cambria meets NSF 51 Food Zone Compliance; its nonporous surface
resists staining and prevents absorbtion of moisture and food materials which
can harbor harmful bacteria. Cambria doesn't require sealing or maintenance
to protect its surface; it is naturally safe for your home and commercial food
preparation areas.
No chemical cleaners or sealers required - Cambria, unlike granite, is
virtually worry-free and exceptionally easy to maintain. Cambria is twice as strong as granite. Granite is porous and subject to staining
if not maintained with sealers, conditioners cleaners and wax. Just wash Cambria with warm water. It's that simple.
Cambria is radon free and does not emit radiation into the air. Cambria surfaces have been tested for radon emissions by Air Quality Sciences, Inc., an International Organization for Standard (ISO) 9001:2000 registered and ISO #17025 accredited Indoor Air Quality Company. The test confirms that Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces™ have zero emissions. Visit Cambria's Radon Free page to learn more.
Cambria's Commitment to Sustainable Business Practices:
- 100 percent of the water used for production in Cambria's plant and fabrication
facilities is recycled through a series of advanced settling and filtering techniques.
- Cambria currently participates in the United States Department of Energy "Save
Energy Now" program. Program personnel work with industrial plants to identify ways to
reduce energy use in key process systems, including electricity, gas, water and compressed
air. An analysis of the plant is done after initial assessment using DOE software tools and
together the DOE and plant personnel agree on potential energy saving opportunities. Most
importantly, the plant staff is then trained to carry out the decided energy saving procedures.
- Cambria is committed to fuel efficient employee transportation. Our fleet vehicles
include Toyota Prius hybrids.
- A-frame shipping crates that transport slabs and fabricated product are recycled
and refurbished. Cambria receives more than 100 used A-frames monthly from Cambria
Certified Installation Associates or Cambria Fabrication Facilities. Cambria refurbishes and
reuses 100% of the returned A-frames for transportation of slabs.
- All diamond-metal tooling is refurbished and re-used. Each diamond-metal tool has a
lifespan of approximately 2,000 lineal feet. At that point, Cambria refurbishes and restores the
tool for use on another 2,000 lineal feet. This process is repeated up to 7 times, stretching the
tools use much further than most companies that discard tools when restoration is needed.
- Cambria uses water from an on-site storm drainage pond to water the grounds of
the manufacturing plant. The pond is replenished by water runoff from the grounds,
parking lot drains, and an on-site water well when necessary.
- Scrap material from the production and fabrication process that would otherwise
end up in landfills, is collected and used as road base material on local construction
projects.
- Cambria recycles all computer equipment and batteries. Cambria is very conscious of
the need to properly dispose of electronic components and batteries at the end of their life
cycle. Cambria disposes of these items at certified recycling centers.
- Cambria recycles general waste. Cambria promotes recycling of paper, plastic, waste metal
and used ink cartridges and provides designated receptacles within Cambria facilities for proper
waste separation and processing.
- Cambria sales collateral and business materials are regularly printed on FSC
certified and/or recycled paper.
- Cambria Approved Fabrication and Installation Associates are educated in water
recovery and equipment recycling practices. These conservation practices are promoted
via the training and education programs at Cambria University.
- Cambria uses composite wood shims, produced from 100% recycled wood waste,
to assist in leveling during countertop installations.

1 Statement support by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute and can be found at
http://www.GREENGUARD.org.