A very important aspect to be considered in the choice of finishing material is the protection of the environment. Ceramic tiles are products which have a lower impact on the environment compared to other materials, thanks to the extensive effort put into innovative technology, plant and production techniques by the Italian ceramic industry.
The life cycle of a product - such as the ceramic tile - is analysed in order to determine its environmental impact. This life cycle considers all the product phases "from cradle to grave", that is from the extraction and production of the raw materials to the final disposal of wastes after demolition.
The first of the phases to be analysed is the extraction and processing of the raw materials used in the tile production. The environmental impact of the quarries can, on one hand lead to the alteration of the landscape, and on the other hand to the consumption of resources, the emission of dusts, and waste production. The production phase represents the most important part of the life cycle. The main environmental factors associated with tile manufacturing are the following:
gaseous emissions;
water consumption and waste water discharges;
energy consumption;
waste/residues;
noise.
For every kilogram of tiles produced, the following substances are conveyed through gaseous emissions: from 0.2 to 0.4 grams of fluorine compounds; from 30 to 45 grams of dusts; from 0.01 to 0.1 grams of lead compounds.
Over 90% of these polluting substances are removed by purification plants, so that the quoted emission levels are respectively reduced to: from 0.02 to 0.04 grams of fluorine compounds; from 0.2 to 0.3 grams of particulate matter; from 0.001 to 0.01 grams of lead compounds.
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 | The manufacturing process
How ceramic tiles are formed |
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