It is our commitment to conduct our business in ways that are beneficial to the planet and to people.
Up-cycle packaging: Spray foam is the safest way to get our heavy product from us to you but as with all packaging it creates waste. If reducing waste is important to you then help us “up-cycle” your packaging material. Did you know…everyday customers mail us their empty boxes and we up-cycle 100% of those packaging materials into a new outbound packages? Simply return your packaging to Designer Stone, 1138 D St., Ramona, CA 92065 and the next time you shop with www.dsgardenshop.com Save $5 when you use the coupon code: motherearth
Water Reclamation: Throughout the day in production the use of water is required for many things; like rinsing tools, buckets, mixers and hands. We are able to reclaim 90% of this relatively clean water and use it in the manufacturing of our products. We reuse approximately 10,000 gallons of water per year equating to 200,000 gallons of water since the beginning of Designer Stone, Inc.
Water-based Sealant: Adding a sealant to concrete certainly isn’t mandatory but we all have walked down cracked sidewalks. When choosing a sealant there are oodles of options, the majority are solvents and enamels.
However Designer Stone uses a high quality industrial strength “water-based”application that is both a Water Repellent and Protective Sealer. What does this mean? Rather than using a solvent-based sealer that is high in VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), we are putting our best foot forward and use a more expensive water-based sealer. Lowering VOC content has been a popular topic lately, but this was a conscious decision we made from the very beginning… because we care about the planet and its people!
Water-based Stains: Most every major statuary manufacturer uses Acid Stains to color their products. Acid stains are very accomplished, they penetrate deep into the concrete and create a chemical reaction which change the color of the stone and can create a beautiful marbleized antique patina. The problem lies in the 3-step process, all of which are high in VOC’s making them neither user friendly or Eco-friendly.
Designer Stone uses water based stains, it is the Eco-friendly answer to the look of Acid Stains. It accomplishes a variegated finish that won’t peel, chip, crack or fade. It is perfect for interior or exterior use and environmentally friendly and odorless. No Acid! No VOC’s!
Carrier Carbon Offset: How does carbon offset work? We calculate the emissions it takes to transport a package to its destination and we pay an offset provider to offset those emissions for each package we carry. Designers Stone’s primary carriers are committed to offsetting our carbon footprint and we extend that option to you during your check out.
Both FedEx & UPS work with BP Target Neutral, a not-for-profit offset provider whose projects work to reduce, replace and neutralize carbon.
Concrete vs Plastics, Resins etc.: This is a simply an argument of pros vs cons. The pros of concrete are clear, it is ideal for exposed locations and will hold up to accidental bumps from playing children or lawn mowers. And over time concrete develops a patina, supports the growth of moss, insulates, promotes healthy roots systems and gives your garden a worn lived in appearance but clearly the biggest pro is…it will likely last longer than you. The cons are it is heavy and expensive to ship. With these lesser materials the pros and cons aren’t so black and white. They are light and inexpensive and hollow and cheap and insubstantial and imported and disposable.
We’ve all heard about a mass of plastics floating in the Pacific Ocean, estimated at 270,000 sq mi or roughly about the size of Texas. Do you really need to add to this? Buy some more imported tchotchke bric-a-bracs (junk) which will break or wear away in one short season and then be discarded to float among the Pacific Trash Vortex for eternity or worse to a landfill where it is out-of-sight out-of-mind. Do the world a favor and buy concrete and have an heirloom and a planet to leave to your grand kids.