Mapping the environmental footprint: tracing ceramic tile production’s impact on sustainable goals
Résumé
The production of ceramic tiles is part of the construction industry sector with a high energy demand, contributing to the
intensification of carbon dioxide emissions and consequent global warming. In Brazil, it holds a prominent position, with
clusters concentrated in the South and Southeast regions and with growing development in the Northeast region, responsible
for job creation and income generation. This paper aims to study a life cycle inventory of colonial tiles produced by a
traditional ceramic industry in the Brazilian Northeast, located in the state of Ceara, along with its contribution to achieving
the Sustainable Development Goals. This assessment was carried out over 12 months, during the year 2023, with the system
boundaries including the beginning of the life cycle up to the distribution phase—starting from raw material extraction to
delivery to buyers. Environmental impacts were calculated for seven impact categories using the SimaPro
® software. The
results showed that when evaluating the scenario, the highest quantity of overall environmental impacts is associated with
the raw material extraction phase, followed by the use of firewood for the firing process and product distribution, with the
production process standing out in the quantified environmental impacts. The study’s contribution to 7 objectives and their
respective 13 targets for achieving the proposed goals for the 2030 Agenda was observed, reinforcing the importance of this
type of research.