The industry is focusing on environment-friendly products along with sustainable processes and technology. Ceramic tiles are environment-friendly as they are made of clay, sand and glass, points out Ishvinder Kaur, Creative Director & Founder Principal, ivpartners. “With most made out of recyclable content, they reduce energy use by keeping the region cool even during high temperatures.” Also, most sanitaryware products today come with water-saving technology. As Jimmy Mistry, Chairman & Managing Director, Della, says, “All WCs currently used with flush tanks consume less water. Dual flushing systems, especially, use less water compared to the flush valves of the past.” With most of these products being manufactured in India, and coming from within a 500-km radius, the carbon footprint is also reduced. Atul Sanghvi, Executive Director & CEO, CERA Sanitaryware, shares that CERA, too, has focused on developing water-saving products. “We modified the designs of WCs, because of which we are able to send less water down the drain.” “Our ‘cool-roof’ tiles, thinner and robust large Porselano glazed vitrified tiles and multiple collections of Endura Industrial tiles feature superior technical parameters to perform and intervene less in nature by replacing natural stone,” says Dinesh Vyas, Marketing head, H&R Johnson. Similarly, in sanitaryware, the company has options that use less water. “Johnson products are manufactured in highly energy-efficient factories and we also recycle to the extent that technology supports.” For its part, Asian Granito India (AGIL) offers the market the eco-friendly Eco-Bianco tiles range for terrace. As Kamlesh Patel, Chairman and Managing Director, Asian Granito India, says, “These are solar reflective roof tiles have SRI of 87.” Orientbell’s manufacturing units are ISO 14001:2015 certified (the most complete global expression for environment-friendliness) and it has been awarded OHSAS 18001 certification for health and safety standards. “No wastewater is ever discharged from our factory,” affirms Alok Aggarwal, CMO, Orient Bell. SHRIYAL SETHUMADHAVAN