Use tile and avoid exposure to harmful contaminants found in other surfaces. A hypoallergenic flooring option, tile is naturally inert and resistant to dust and other harmful pollutants that are known to cause a variety of health problems.

Concerned about allergies and asthma? Tile is a great choice for your projects! Unlike other surfaces, tile is impervious, so it’s inhospitable to dust mites, bacteria, fungi, mold, and other irritants.

Tile is manufactured at temperatures that reach up to 2500 degrees F, it’s inherently inorganic, emitting zero VOCs. VOCs, emitted by other types of flooring, are harmful gases that can cause headaches, nausea, and nose, eye, and throat irritation. VOC emissions are also a leading cause of “sick building syndrome.”

Binders like formaldehyde are often found in products containing medium-density fiberboard, plywood, and particleboard. Formaldehyde is known to lead to an increase of asthma problems to the point that it has been federally restricted under the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act.

Tile flooring is also free from PVC, a resin commonly used in other surfaces to improve mechanical flexibility and heat stability. PVC contains phthalates and organotin, both regularly a subject of concern and discussion among health experts.

Porcelain tile is one of the most eco-friendly flooring options available, from the production process to the installed tiles. There are many tile options available which are made from recycled materials. Once installed, tile can be reused generation after generation and packaging and boxes are 100% recyclable. Combining incredible durability and responsible manufacturer usage of recycled content, tile is one of the most eco-friendly flooring options available.

The materials used to make tile are generally found within 500 miles of manufacturing facilities, dramatically reducing the energy and emissions that come from long-distance shipping, and this is just one reason Why Tile® has the lowest carbon footprint of any flooring choice. Being composed of natural ingredients such as clays, quartz and feldspars and then fired up to 2500 F, porcelain tile is 100% plastic free. This means a healthier living environment.

Tile’s inherent thermal mass reduces peak heating and cooling, which helps moderate temperature swings in your home. This means less work for your HVAC system and more energy savings for you.

LEED is an acronym that stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is important to note that no product is “Leed Certified”. Only buildings can be “Leed Certified”. However, when our products are included in a project, they can contribute points towards attaining different levels of certification. The U.S. Green Building Council has developed a suite of leed green building rating systems that allows builders, owners, and tenants to evaluate the impact of their design on energy and environmental issues. They can obtain points toward Leed Certification of a project resulting from choices they make while designing, constructing, and operating a new or existing building or major renovation. Our materials can help reduce the environmental impacts of building operation. Intrinsically sustainable product characteristics, efficient manufacturing, and corporate responsibility are some of the considerations when an independent assessment is conducted. The Green Squared Certified® mark is one way to quickly and easily identify the most sustainable products available. Other green and eco-friendly certifications include Green Guard, Bureau Veritas Certified, US Green Building Council, Ecolabel Certified, ISO 9001 Certified, ISO 14001 Certified, EMAS Certified, Life P.S. V. Project. These are some of the best-known marks to identify sustainability in your materials.

Mindful MATERIALS (mM) is a free platform with information on human health and environmental impacts for products from leading manufacturers, vetted by experts passionate about making it easier to make informed product choices.

The mindful MATERIALS Library aggregates product sustainability information while minimizing redundant effort on the part of both manufacturers and designers. mindful MATERIALS is NOT another certification. It is a product certification library, enabling manufacturers to showcase product transparency and optimize information enabling industry professionals to search for a multitude of relevant products.

Designed by stakeholders from across the building industry, the mindful MATERIALS Library is a practical product selection tool for design teams needing to incorporate product transparency information into their real-time decisions. Backed by vetting efforts of the mindful MATERIALS Review Working Group, as well as having direct connections to verified data from integrated auditors/certifiers, confidence in mM Library data is strong.