TTA recognises that there are many issues around sustainability affecting the tile industry. These include:
Whether companies operated their own businesses in a sustainable fashion – minimising energy usage, improving energy efficiency of company buildings, minimising travel encouraging electric vehicle usage, installing green energy systems.
Exploitation of finite raw material sources in tile manufacture and intensive use of energy in the manufacturing process.
The carbon footprint of bringing tiles from overseas
Chemicals used in the process of installation – especially in adhesives, grouts, sealers and related products.
TTA also believes there is a positive story to tell relating to tiles, in particular the durability and longevity of tiled surfaces, as well as the inert nature of the product which is a benefit during the recycling process.
In order to help the industry tackle the challenges of sustainability and to help communicate the positive aspects of the story, TTA has formed a Sustainability Working Group, which met for the first time in May.
Chaired by David Kong, director of Domus Group, the Working Group comprises eight members, reports directly to TTA Board and resolved to meet on a monthly basis going forward.
The consensus from the first meeting was that we need to improve as an industry, as this is no longer a ‘niche’ issue and there is now a strong commercial imperative to put sustainability at the top of the agenda – and TTA has a leadership role to play in this.
Key outputs from the first meeting included:
Creating a new page on TTA’s website about sustainability
Working towards the creation of a Sustainability Report for the Tiling Industry
Holding some sort of industry event around a sustainability theme
It was emphasised that TTA has considerable resources that it can draw on in this area. As members of the Construction Products Association, it can draw on the vast amount of work done by that organisation in the field of sustainability, while Build UK can also assist. Meanwhile, TTA’s increasingly strong links with European tile manufacturing associations will also be very helpful.
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