Some of the broken tile material that Eliane recycles during the manufacturing process.


Eliane Ceramic Tiles said its single-fired manufacturing process reuses 20 percent of the raw materials in its ceramic paste production. The reused materials include a substance called E.T.E. Compound. After the solids and liquids are separated, the resulting solids are called E.T.E. Mud.

Eliane said the “Mud” material is channeled to the blending operation area, where it is combined with raw fired and unfired broken tiles into a blend. After being analyzed, the compounds can then be reused as ceramic paste needed for the single firing. The company also reuses most of its water during the manufacturing process. The reuse and recycling of manufacturing materials are done at the company’s three factories in Cocal do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil.