LEED Certification

How can tile help a building learn LEED Certification points?

Today, almost all of Byrd Tile's tile manufacturers have "earth friendly" factories. These factories capture the heat from their kilns and re-circulate it into their drying rooms or use the heat to warm the factories in winter. Their clay and glazes are recaptured and recycled into new tile products along with using 100% lead-free glazes. Most of Byrd Tile's manufacturers recycle their water, keeping the sludge and impurities out of our water supply. Also, stone left on the cutting room floors is recaptured and cut into smaller pieces to form beautiful mosaic borders. Even the boxes used for shipping the tiles are made from recycled cardboard. When those boxes arrive at Byrd Tile, we also recycle the boxes, keeping them out of our landfills.

Technically, these earth friendly processes are good for our environment but these processes do not qualify for LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). A rating system created and administered by the US Green Building Council.

So, specifically, how can tile help a building earn certification points?
If the raw materials to create the tiles are harvested, produced and delivered within a 500-mile radius, the US Green Building Council considers it to be more environmentally friendly and awards points toward LEED certification. Byrd Tile has several tiles that are manufactured within a 500-mile radius; Seneca Tiles in Attica, OH and The Green Co. in Clarksville, TN just to name a few!

If the content of the tile has 10% -20% or more post-consumer re-cycled product, then the US Green Building Council considers it to be more environmentally friendly and awards points toward LEED certification. Byrd Tile has many tiles that are made with recycled post-consumer materials like Vihara Glass tiles, Green Tech porcelain tile and Mizu Crackled ceramic tiles just to name a few!