Eco-Friendly Recycled Tile

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If you’re remodeling a kitchen or bath, or simply replacing worn-out flooring, consider environmentally friendly recycled-content tile.

Like other tile products, recycled-content tile will outlast most, if not all, other types of flooring. Tile resists scratching and is fire-resistant. And because it’s so durable, you will save money over the long haul by not having to replace it. (Consider installing a neutral color that will not become dated.)

Tile is easy to clean and, if glazed, won’t absorb liquids or release unpleasant odors like carpeting can. Another advantage over carpet is that tile doesn’t harbor potentially harmful mold spores, pollen, dust or dust mites. Unlike vinyl “linoleum” and many other flooring products — including some “green” options — tile doesn’t contain toxic chemicals and won’t give off fumes (a process known as outgassing).

The use of recycled materials reduces waste shipped to landfills and cuts down on mining of clay and other minerals needed to make conventional tile. Recycling also reduces energy use because making a product from waste material typically requires less energy than fabricating one from raw materials. This, in turn, helps slash fuel use in manufacturing and reduce environmental pollution.

Recycled Tile Options

Recycled-content tile can be used for floors, countertops and walls, and may be made from either recycled glass or wastes from mines or factories. Tiles come in two varieties — ceramic and glass. Ceramic tiles may be made from factory waste (known as post-industrial waste) generated by the production of conventional tiles. Some manufacturers, such as Crossville, produce tiles that contain 50 percent to 100 percent in-house manufacturing waste — waste that would otherwise have ended up in landfills.

Other products, such as the Debris Series from Fireclay Tile, combine post-industrial and post-consumer recycled wastes. The Debris Series tile consists of 26 percent recycled granite dust (post-industrial waste) from a granite-cutting operation. It also contains 26 percent recycled glass (post-consumer waste). Plus, the glazes used by this company contain no lead, so they’re safer for the workers who apply them.

Recycled-content glass floor tiles from UltraGlas contain 15 percent to 30 percent recycled glass. Blazestone tiles produced by Bedrock Industries are made from 100 percent recycled glass, as are the tiles from Sandhill Industries. Although recycled-content glass tiles are good for the environment, they are also prized by many interior designers because some types have special decorative qualities, such as translucent iridescence, not found in other tiles. Recycled tile for floors, walls and countertops is produced by many of the companies mentioned here and listed in the sources, below.

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