Happy Floors is pleased to be a nationwide
distributor of porcelain tile, which is considered green within the
industry. It is very important to first identify what attributes make tile
eco-friendly or Green.
In general ceramic / porcelain tiles are
inherently green because they do not contain VOC's (Volatile Organic
Compounds), are low maintenance, and have a long life cycle.
The Italian tile industry is known as the
world leader in design and technology. Italian tile manufactures also are
very environmentally conscious and take multiple steps to reduce their
carbon footprint. In general majority of Italian tiles contain recycled
materials. The amount of impact on the environment will vary from factory to
factory and tile to tile. Manufactures may have their products tested in
order to determine the amount of pre & post consumer recycled material found
in each tile. The amount of recycled content can vary greatly from light to
dark colors within one type of tile series.
The Happy Floors porcelain tile collection is
95% Italian made.
Architects have taken the green movement to
the next level by requiring that tile products be certified in order to be
used for certain projects. The ultimate goal is for a project to receive an
eco-friendly status. The US Green Buildings Council (USGBC) is one
organization that helps set guidelines for building green. The USGBC has
established LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) as a
reference guide. "LEED certification provides independent, third-party
verification that a building project meets the highest green building and
performance measures. All certified projects receive a LEED plaque, which is
the nationally recognized symbol demonstrating that a building is
environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and
work." www.usgbc.org.
It is important to note that individual tile
products can not be LEED certified but that tile ultimately helps a finished
building earn LEED points.
Happy Floors is a USGBC member and offers
certified products to help projects earn LEED points.
