WASHINGTON -- Green Squared®, the American National Standard Specifications for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles, and Tile Installation Materials, has been added to the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing, updated at the close of 2016, the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) recently announced. These recommendations were made to all U.S. government purchasing officials to aid in identifying and procuring environmentally sustainable products and services.

"In establishing a sustainability initiative, it was our desire to put in place one standard and one mark across the tile industry to cover the products used over the course of an installation. Green Squared is the result of that -- the first holistic tile sustainability standard," said Bill Griese, director of standards development and sustainability initiatives at TCNA. "We're incredibly proud to see it now be accepted as part of the United States federal government's benchmark for sustainability, and to garner credibility both from the government, and by association with similar, recognized industry marks for categories like furnishings and paint."

"The federal government's ability to sort through the myriad numbers of products with private ecolabels can provide a critical roadmap for how the public sector can do this," said Jim Jones, assistant administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. EPA. "By allowing federal buyers to make more informed decisions on environmentally preferable products and services, federal agencies are leading by example, stimulating the supply of greener products and services, and protecting our health and the environment."