Ask anyone to characterize a green, sustainable tile or installation material and the response is rather predictable—durable, long-lasting, non-emitting, natural ingredients, recycled content.
Today, it is well understood a wide variety of environmental concepts need to be considered when evaluating product sustainability. Gone is the need to evaluate single-attribute sustainability claims like recycled content or low VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Until recently, floor tiles have been 8 to 12mm thick and tiles less than 7.5mm were not intended for floors. However, tiles engineered to be thinner have now entered the marketplace. Made of porcelain, they are being marketed as “thin tiles.” Are they the same as their thicker brethren, except thinner? Being thinner they take fewer resources to manufacture and ship, but where and when can they be used?
