The 130-year-old company has become the first tile company in Australia to attain the prestigious Global Green tag, introducing revolutionary new sustainability and product stewardship practices. By Marie Jakubowicz.

“As a 130 year old company it just makes sense” comments Richard Earp, Joint Managing Director, referring to efforts to attain the Global Green Tag. “My brother and I are 5th generation in this business”, he adds, “to be part of that you have to be forward thinking and have a want to make a difference. We are not wanting to get a manufacturer’s certificate from Europe and wave it around and tell everyone how wonderful we are.”

“It involves more than just working on the back of European producers’ certifications” he explains , “We have had to reconsider our local operations and change the way we do business. Being the first ceramic tile company to apply to EcoSpecifier, to have our company and materials audited, we had to change and adapt as we went, as it was a learning curve not chartered by others before”. 

As part of this process the company has introduced a cutting edge product stewardship program for hard flooring. “It is a huge leap forward, and we are continuing to develop a business model that supports and improves these and other programs in the future,” says Earp. 

For specifiers, this means being able to choose with ease a large range of wall and floor tiles for many applications, knowing that the products have been audited and are managed by a reputable company. Especially for projects looking for green alternatives in all their materials, it is a huge advantage, and the more detailed information regarding slip-resistant flooring will make understanding and planning for insurance issues a safer process.

Earp Bros