Abstract:

This study focuses on analysing the environmental impacts of ceramic tiles using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which examines the influence of production processes on the overall carbon footprint of products. The carbon footprint assessment was conducted using the LCA method in a gate-to-gate model according to ISO standards. The evaluated processes include raw material extraction, mixing and grinding, pressing, glazing, firing, and packaging of the tiles. The functional unit was 1 m² of tiles, allowing for a comparison of the environmental burden of both formats. In this analysis, tiles of two different sizes, 60x60 cm and 60x120 cm, were assessed to determine how size affects their ecological burden.

The research addresses key questions, such as the difference in the carbon footprint between these two formats and the identification of processes that contribute the most to overall emissions. The main finding of the study is that the carbon footprint of the 60x120 cm tile, which amounts to 3.63 kg CO₂eq/m², is not double that of the smaller tile (2.58 kg CO₂eq/m²). This difference, with the larger tile having a 27% higher carbon footprint, highlights the efficiency of production, where larger tile formats enable more efficient use of materials and energy, resulting in a lower relative environmental impact