Word has it that Crossville has begun its newest recycling program.
Marketing manager Laurie Lyza explained the process to me at Coverings, "We're going to be able to recycle fired tile. This is a huge investment, but it will solve the problem of how to make new tile from old tile."
Previously, it was not possible to recycle post-industrial and post-consumer tile. Crossville already reused scrap powders and unfired tile (as do other manufacturers.) Still, hundreds of millions of pounds of damaged tiles went to landfills each year.
"We'll implement a tile take back program for previously installed tiles, resolving the issue: 'What do you do with a product that was designed to last forever?' Well, we're working out the details and this summer we will start productions with our fired tiles," said Lyza.
