ISO 17889-1:2021

Overview

ISO 17889-1:2021 - Ceramic tiling systems - Sustainability for ceramic tiles - Part 1: Specification for ceramic tiles defines sustainability requirements, assessment methods and evaluation schemes for ceramic tiles across their full product life cycle. The standard sets out how to evaluate environmental, economic and social performance from raw materials and manufacture through distribution, installation, use and end-of-life management. It is intended as a verifiable framework to support sustainable product specification, labelling and supply‑chain transparency.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Life cycle approach (LCA): Uses life‑cycle thinking to assess environmental impacts across all stages (raw material, manufacture, distribution/installation, use, end‑of‑life).
• Environmental criteria: Material sourcing (including definition of indigenous raw material), resource use (fresh water, packaging and shipping materials), emissions and product environmental labelling.
• Economic & functional criteria: Product quality, fitness for use and performance levels to ensure sustainability does not compromise functionality or lifecycle cost.
• Social criteria: Occupational health and safety during manufacture and installation, user safety in use, and labour agreements.
• Assessment & evaluation schemes: Procedures for collecting data, applying qualitative and quantitative indicators, calculating final sustainability ratings and producing a final report.
• Classification & designation: Methods for assigning sustainability classifications and producing comparable results between products.
• Normative testing references: Integration with existing standards for environmental labels (ISO 14024, ISO 14025), indoor emissions testing (ISO 16000 series) and product definitions (ISO 13006).

Practical applications and users

ISO 17889-1:2021 is practical for:

• Manufacturers seeking to assess and improve the sustainability credentials of ceramic tile products.
• Product certifiers and testing laboratories applying standardised assessment methods and producing compliance reports.
• Architects, specifiers and contractors who require verified sustainability data for procurement and green building projects.
• Sustainability consultants and EPD developers using the framework to prepare environmental product declarations and compare tiles.
• Building owners and procurers aiming to select tiles with lower environmental impact and documented social and health safeguards.

Benefits include improved supply‑chain transparency, consistent product comparison, support for green building credits and stronger market differentiation for sustainable tiles.

Related standards

Relevant references integrated by ISO 17889-1 include ISO 13006, ISO 14024, ISO 14025, ISO 21930 and the ISO 16000 series (indoor emissions testing). These provide complementary methods for product definition, labelling and emission measurements.