Ceramic tile products are primarily used as floor and wall coverings in both indoor and outdoor applications. They deliver superior durability and function as an important design component and building finishing material. As a construction material, ceramic tile is able to withstand a wide range of different environmental stresses.
The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) has produced an environmental product declaration (EPD) to identify the various environmental impacts of ceramic tile over its life cycle. In addition to providing basic product definition and information about the basic material, the EPD identifies the origin of ceramic tile and lists building physics. The declaration also includes a description of the tile manufacturing process, indicates the steps of processing the material, explains in-use conditions, and offers life cycle assessment results and results from testing and verifications with respect to tile.
Examples of different types of tile, such as porcelain, pressed floor, mosaic, quarry and glazed wall tile, are pictured in figures within the EPD. All of the tile products reviewed in the EPD either meet or exceed key technical specifications:
- ANSI A137.1 – American National Standard Specifications for Ceramic Tile
- ISO 13006 – International Organization for Standardization Specifications for Ceramic Tile
Additionally, many of the tile products in the declaration are certified to meet ANSI A138.1, which is the Green Squared® American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles, and Tile Installation Materials.
This EPD is in accordance with ISO 14025. It contains a comprehensive environmental analysis of over 95% of the ceramic tile produced in North America.