ISO 17889-1:2021

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 17889-1
First edition
2021-06
Ceramic tiling systems —
Sustainability for ceramic tiles and
installation materials —
Part 1:
Specification for ceramic tiles
Reference number
ISO 17889-1:2021(E)
©
ISO 2021

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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

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© ISO 2021
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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Published in Switzerland
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Sustainability . 2
3.2 Environment . 2
3.3 Materials input . 3
3.4 Sustainability management . 3
3.5 Products and production . . 4
3.6 Waste materials . 5
3.7 Health and safety . 5
4 Symbols and abbreviated terms . 6
4.1 Symbols . 6
4.2 Abbreviated terms . 7
5 Principle criteria for sustainable products . 7
5.1 General . 7
5.2 Environmental criteria . 8
5.3 Economic and functional criteria . 8
5.4 Social criteria . 8
6 Assessment . 9
6.1 General . 9
6.2 Environmental criteria . 9
6.2.1 General. 9
6.2.2 Raw materials . 9
6.2.3 Manufacture .11
6.2.4 Distribution and installation .18
6.2.5 Use .19
6.2.6 End of life .20
6.2.7 Product environmental mark/labelling .20
6.3 Economic and functional criteria .21
6.3.1 General.21
6.3.2 Product quality, performance level, fitness for use .21
6.4 Social criteria .22
6.4.1 General.22
6.4.2 Occupational health and safety in manufacture .22
6.4.3 Health and safety prior and during installation .24
6.4.4 Health and safety in use .25
6.4.5 Labour agreement .25
7 Classification and designation .26
7.1 Approach .26
7.2 Final rating calculation .27
7.3 Classification .27
7.4 Final report .28
Annex A (normative) Criteria for sustainable products .29
Bibliography .40
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 189, Ceramic tile.
A list of all parts in the ISO 17889 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

Introduction
This document outlines the requirements for sustainable tiles and installation materials including
environmental, economic and social criteria, in order to:
— promote the development and use of sustainable ceramic tiles and installation materials;
— guide all stakeholders in environmental responsibility throughout the supply chain for tiles and
installation materials;
— provide a verifiable resource for tile product specification and for design professionals, contractors
and consumers to identify sustainable tiles and installation materials;
— increase the value of sustainable tiles and installation materials throughout the supply chain by
creating greater market awareness and demand.
This document provides a system for sustainability assessment of products throughout their life
cycle using qualitative and quantitative indicators for environmental performance and for social and
economic responsibility pertaining to the design, manufacture, installation, and use of ceramic tiling
systems. This document is focused on ceramic tiles, as part of the tiling system.
This document can be used to assess the sustainability performance of the product of interest.
Evaluation schemes, taking into account the materials mentioned in the product standards, to enable
comparability of the results of assessment, are part of this document.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 17889-1:2021(E)
Ceramic tiling systems — Sustainability for ceramic tiles
and installation materials —
Part 1:
Specification for ceramic tiles
1 Scope
This document specifies sustainability requirements together with assessment methods and evaluation
schemes for ceramic tiles.
This document includes relevant criteria across product life cycle from raw material through
manufacturing, use and end-of-life management.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 13006, Ceramic tiles — Definitions, classification, characteristics and marking
ISO 14024, Environmental labels and declarations — Type I environmental labelling — Principles and
procedures
ISO 14025, Environmental labels and declarations — Type III environmental declarations — Principles and
procedures
ISO 16000-3, Indoor air — Part 3: Determination of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds in indoor
air and test chamber air — Active sampling method
ISO 16000-6, Determination of volatile organic compounds in indoor and test chamber air by active
sampling on Tenax TA sorbent, thermal desorption and gas chromatography using MS or MS-FID
ISO 16000-9, Indoor air — Part 9: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds from
building products and furnishing — Emission test chamber method
ISO 16000-11, Indoor air — Part 11: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds from
building products and furnishing — Sampling, storage of samples and preparation of test specimens
ISO 21930, Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works — Core rules for environmental product
declarations of construction products and services
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

3.1 Sustainability
3.1.1
environmental sustainability
state in which the ecosystem and its functions are maintained for the present and future generation
3.1.2
economic sustainability
ability to provide sustainable, successful places in an economic context
Note 1 to entry: Economic considerations include employment, competitiveness, wealth and distribution, welfare,
accounting and regulation.
3.1.3
social sustainability
ability to provide sustainable, successful places in a social context
Note 1 to entry: Social sustainability combines design of the physical realm with design of the world,
infrastructure to support social and cultural life, provides social amenities, systems for citizen engagement and
spaces for people and places to evolve.
3.1.4
LCA
life cycle assessment
systematic evaluation of the environmental impact (3.2.3) of a product(s) that includes all stages of its
life cycle
EXAMPLE Period from installation to uninstalling.
3.2 Environment
3.2.1
environment
surroundings in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora,
fauna, humans and their interrelationships
Note 1 to entry: Surroundings in this context extend from within an organization to the global system.
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.1, modified — Note 2 to entry was removed.]
3.2.2
environmental aspect
element of an organization’s activities or products or services that can interact with the environment
(3.2.1)
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.2, modified — The notes to entry were removed.]
3.2.3
environmental impact
any change to the environment (3.2.1), whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from
an organisation’s environmental aspects (3.2.2)
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2015, 3.2.4]
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

3.3 Materials input
3.3.1
raw material
basic material that can be converted by processing or manufacturing, or a combination of both, into a
new product
Note 1 to entry: A raw material may be virgin, recycled, harvested, extracted, recovered, or manufactured when
used as an ingredient in a new material.
3.3.2
indigenous raw material
raw material (3.3.1) that is recovered, harvested, or extracted within an 800 km radius of the
manufacturing site
Note 1 to entry: Where materials are transported by water or rail, the distance to the manufacturing site shall
be determined by multiplying the distance that the materials are transported by water or rail by 0,25 and adding
that number to the distance transported by means other than water or rail.
3.3.3
fresh water
surface water and groundwater withdrawn for manufacturing use
3.3.4
packaging material
any material intended for presentation to a consumer that is used for the containment, protection,
handling, or preservation of a product
Note 1 to entry: Included tools in a kit or parts of the packaging that are used directly in the combining or
installation of the product shall be excluded from this definition.
Note 2 to entry: Shipping material (3.3.6) is not considered to be packaging material.
3.3.5
primary packaging
any material that first envelops and holds the product of interest (3.5.2)
Note 1 to entry: It is intended to be the smallest unit of distribution or use and is the package which is in direct
contact with the contents.
Note 2 to entry: For ceramic tiles (3.5.1) the primary packaging is restricted to the following materials: paper,
cardboard or corrugate.
3.3.6
shipping material
any material that is used for the containment, protection, handling, or preservation of a product while
en route from one location to another that is generally not intended for presentation to a consumer
EXAMPLE Pallet, industrial carton, banding, freight panels, wood/lumber bracing, etc.
3.4 Sustainability management
3.4.1
energy efficiency management system
EEMS
procedures to monitor, control, evaluate and improve the performance of the used energy
3.4.2
environmental management system
EMS
procedures to monitor, control, evaluate and improve the organization environmental performance
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

3.4.3
health and safety management
procedures to monitor, control, evaluate and improve the system performance as regards health and
safety
3.4.4
environmental product declaration
EPD
standardized and LCA (3.1.4) based tool – type III environmental declaration - to communicate the
environmental performance of a product or system
3.4.5
type I environmental label
LCA (3.1.4) based label which identifies products or services proven environmentally preferable overall,
within a specific product or service category
3.4.6
certified
product or management system that is certified by a certification body (3.4.7) in accordance with the
relevant standard
3.4.7
certification body
third-party conformity assessment body operating certification schemes
3.4.8
maintenance
service
actions which have the objective of retaining or restoring a product in or to a state in which it can
perform its intended function
3.5 Products and production
3.5.1
ceramic tile
ceramic surfacing unit, usually relatively thin in relation to facial area, having either a glazed or
unglazed face and fired above red heat in the course of manufacture to a temperature sufficiently high
to produce specific physical properties and characteristic
3.5.2
product of interest
single product or line of products with homogeneous technical characteristics and equal environmental
impacts (3.2.3) and performances
Note 1 to entry: In case of product specific environmental criteria a “worst case scenario” analysis of a single
product may suffice to extend the boundaries of the product of interest to be representative of the facility’s entire
production (3.5.3).
3.5.3
production
industrial processes involving steps resulting in the manufacture of products or items
3.5.4
transport
movement of goods [e.g. products, raw materials (3.3.1)] from one location to another
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

3.6 Waste materials
3.6.1
post-consumer material
waste material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their
role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its original intended purpose
3.6.2
pre-consumer material
material, solid and/or liquid, diverted from a waste stream generated by the manufacturing process
Note 1 to entry: Reutilization of materials (i.e. rework, regrind or scrap generated in a process that does not enter
the waste stream and that is capable of being reclaimed within the same process that generated it) is excluded.
3.6.3
reclaimed waste
waste, scrap material, or water generated during manufacturing processes that, in lieu of disposal, is
captured and reused to manufacture more of the same product
3.6.4
waste water
liquid waste resulting from industrial processes, including but not necessarily limited to water mixed
with raw materials (3.3.1), contact cooling water, condensing waters, and water that comes in contact
with process materials, products or by-product, but excluding sanitary sewage, cafeterias, irrigation,
storm water runoff
3.6.5
waste water discharged
production (3.5.3) waste water (3.6.4) generated in the manufacturing process, that is discharged in the
external environment (3.2.1)
Note 1 to entry: The waste water can be discharged, for example, to publicly owned treatment works (POTW).
3.6.6
waste management
collection, transport (3.5.4), processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials
3.7 Health and safety
3.7.1
hazard
source, situation, or act with a potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill health (3.7.3), or a
combination of these
3.7.2
hazard identification
process of recognizing that a hazard (3.7.1) exists and defining its characteristics
3.7.3
ill health
identifiable, adverse physical or mental condition arising from and/or made worse by a work activity
and/or work-related situation
3.7.4
safety in use
level of risks associated with the installation and use of the products
3.7.5
sanitary employers' control
surveillance program including generic or specific medical check-up, according to risk assessment
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

4 Symbols and abbreviated terms
4.1 Symbols
Symbols Description Units
a arithmetical average
ave
2
A exposed surface area of the test specimen in the chamber m
ch
3
c estimated emission concentration within the context of a building μg/m
B
3
c HF concentration in the i-th chimney stack mg/Nm
HF,i
3
c is the PM concentration in the i-th chimney stack mg/Nm
PM,i
measured concentration of the target VOC, formaldehyde or other
3
c μg/m
ta
carbonyl compound
corresponding measured concentration in the chamber operating
3
c μg/m
0
without a test specimen
fuel consumption (annual) (GJ/year, TJ/year,
C
f 3
or Sm /year)
2
C specific fresh water consumption (L/m or L/t)
FW
-2 -1
F area-specific emission factor μg m h
E,A
emission factor of the pollutant “j” (PM, HF) through emissions
2
F (g/m or g/kg)
E, j
into the atmosphere
2
F normalization factor 1 GJ/m
N, 1
F normalization factor 1 GJ/t
N, 2
F process waste recycle/reuse factor %
R
F normalized specific fuel consumption factor adimensional
SFC
quantity of indigenous raw materials in the body of the product
I %
of interest
M post-consumer material input kg
post
M pre-consumer material input kg
pre
quantity of indigenous raw materials in the body of the product
p kg
I
of interest
p body of the product of interest kg
t
2
P annual ceramic tile production m /year
sm
P annual ceramic tile production t/year
t
P annual production water utilized L/year
W
P annual production waste water discharged L/year
WD
q area specific air flow rate m/ h
A
3
Q volume flow rate of the i-th chimney stack Nm /h
i
recycled and/or reclaimed waste content in the body of the
R %
C
product of interest
R post-consumer recycled content %
C, post
R pre-consumer recycled content %
C, pre
R reclaimed waste content
WC
R recycled materials content of packaging materials %
MC
R reclaimed waste input kg
w
S sustainability rating %
ra
t operation time of the i-th chimney stack h/year
i
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

T total fresh water consumption L/year
FWC
T total grinding water kg
GW
T total raw materials used in the product of interest kg
RM
V voluntary pass/fail requirements (V1)
1
V voluntary multirating managerial requirements (V2)
2
voluntary multirating quantitative and performance require-
V
3
ments (V3)
w total process wastes produced in the production unit of interest t/years
P
W waste water discharge %
D
4.2 Abbreviated terms
For the purposes of this document, the following abbreviated terms are used:
Abbreviated terms Description
EEMS energy efficiency management system
EMAS eco management and auditing scheme
EMS environmental management system
EPD environmental product declaration
HF hydrogen fluoride
LP gas liquefied petroleum gas
M mandatory requirements
NCV net calorific value
cubic meter of gas measured in Normal conditions (T = 273 K,
3
Nm
p = 101,3 kPa)
PM particulate matter
POTW publicly owned treatment works for waste water
PPE personal protective equipment
RCS respirable crystalline silica
SDS safety data sheet
cubic meter of gas measured in Standard conditions (T = 298 K,
3
Sm
p = 101,3 kPa)
V1 voluntary pass-fail requirements
V2 voluntary multirating managerial requirements
voluntary multirating quantitative and performance re-
V3
quirements
VOC volatile organic compounds
5 Principle criteria for sustainable products
5.1 General
The criteria are based on the “three pillar model” of sustainability: environmental sustainability,
economic sustainability and social sustainability, as stipulated in the World Summit Conference 2005.
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ISO 17889-1:2021(E)

Environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability criteria are detailed
in Tables A.1, A.2 and A.3, respectively, which report the requirements that shall be used for the
sustainability assessment according to this document.
Two categories of requirements are adopted.
Mandatory requirements: PASS/FAIL requirements, whose compliance is a pre-requisite for a
product assessed as sustainable. No rating is acknowledged for products compliant with mandatory
requirements. If a product isn’t compliant with all mandatory requirements it cannot be classified as
sustainable.
Multirating, voluntary requirements: requirements to which a product can comply with at different
levels, awarded through a different rating. All multirating, voluntary requirements require a mandatory
minimum 100 % tier. The compliance level to multirating requirements contributes to the final rating
of the product, as specified in Clause 7 of this document.
The requirements listed in Annex A, Tables A.1, A.2 and A.3, are marked with the same numbers used in
Clause 6, and are classified according to the type:
M = mandatory requirement;
V1 = voluntary pass/fail requirements;
V2 = voluntary multi-rating managerial requirements;
V3 = voluntary multirating quantitative and performance requirements.
Reference to this classification
...