INDUSTRY UPDATE THE TILE ASSOCIATION COLUMN


TTAWorking Group to Tackle Sustainability Issues in the Tiling Sector


T


his year, TTA has established a Working Group to develop a coordinated industry response to the climate


crisis and help member companies on their individual sustainability journeys and provide leadership for the tiling sector. The Working Group has representation from around a dozen


companies extending across the sector, including tile distributors and retailers, importers, adhesive manufacturers, contractors and logistics providers. The Working Group meets on a monthly basis and has identified some


of the main issues which confront the sector. These include, but are certainly not limited to: Whether companies operate 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 and minimising and recycling our business waste. The exploitation of finite raw material sources in tile manufacture and


the 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. However, TTA also believes it is very important to tell the positive,


sustainable story which relates to tiles. These positive factors include the durability and longevity of tiled surfaces, as well as the inert nature of the product which greatly facilitates fire, water, chemical and stain resistance. Following the early meetings of the group, work is now progressing to


create a new page on TTA’s website about sustainability. This will be a place to highlight some of the key issues, set out TTA’s position to confront these and also provide a place to share best practice from within the industry. TTA considers itself fortunate that it has considerable resources at its


disposal in this area. As members of both the Construction Products Association and Build UK, it can draw on the vast amount of work done by those organisations in the field of sustainability. Meanwhile TTA’s increasingly strong links with the leading European tile manufacturing associations will also be very helpful.


Modern WC flushes could save 35 million litres of water per year says UWLA on World Toilet Day


W


ater guzzling WC’s that are still being used in more than 1 million homes , are wasting a minimum of 35


million litres of water per year, which equates to 14 Olympic swimming pools, says the UWLA on World Toilet Day. UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill says, “World Toilet Day is held every year


on 19 November and has been an annual United Nations Observance since 2013. Whilst World Toilet Day aims to raise awareness of the 3.6 billion people living without access to safely managed sanitation, it is a good time to highlight, that in the UK alone, we waste at least 35 million litres of water every year by using old and inefficient flush systems. “We know from research


undertaken into the merits of a bathroom scrappage scheme that updating homes with a modern WC could immediately make this huge saving in water usage. “Toilet flushing accounts for 1/3


of water used in the home today, and with modern dual flush models using as little as 2.6 and 4 litres per flush, it is one of the easiest ways to save water in the home. “Dual-flush cisterns let the user choose how much water to use when


flushing the toilet, so with better education, there is potential to influence behaviour and save even more. “These modern WC’s are readily available, there are more than 3,000


WC’s that carry the Unified Water Label listed on the UWLA website. “We want to raise awareness on this World Toilet Day to encourage


people to look at their old WC and consider replacing it. By using a lower volume of water to flush the toilet we can dramatically reduce annual water consumption, and contribute to the protection of this valuable natural resource.” More information about the Unified Water Label can be found by visiting the website .


u For further information or to join TTA visit www.tiles.org.uk/join


uwww.uwla.eu BKU NOVEMBER 2022 51


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