Sustainability is becoming a bigger part of the design and renovation conversation, and tile is no exception. From the materials we source to how we use every last remnant of clay, sustainability is woven into how we make our handmade tile. Rather than sacrificing beauty or craftsmanship, we are on a mission to make the old new again. We’ve been hard at work creating one-of-a-kind, artfully sustainable options that are sure to fit your needs.
Take a closer look at how our handmade tile fits a more thoughtful, sustainable approach to design.
What Makes Handmade Ceramic Tile an Eco-Friendly Choice
Handmade ceramic tile starts with one of the most basic, abundant materials on earth: clay, which is shaped by hand in small batches rather than churned out at industrial scale. That smaller-batch process tends to mean more intentional use of materials and less waste from the outset, since each tile is shaped and finished individually rather than mass-formed. Tile from Mercury Mosaics is handmade from clay and fired in our kilns, rather than chemically treated, so there's no off-gassing or synthetic additives to worry about.
How to Evaluate Sustainable Tile
Handmade tile manufacturers like Mercury Mosaics approach sustainability differently than mass-production facilities — smaller batches, more hands-on processes and reducing waste at every step. Here's what to look for when evaluating any tile manufacturer’s sustainability claims:
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Recycled content — Does production make use of remnant or overstock material, or rely entirely on virgin clay?
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VOC emissions — Is the tile fired rather than chemically treated, avoiding off-gassing and synthetic additives?
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Manufacturing location — Is the tile made locally or regionally, cutting down on the transportation footprint between studio and job site?
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Energy source — What powers the kiln, and how energy-intensive is the firing process?
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Lifespan — Is the tile built to hold up for decades, reducing how often it needs to be replaced?
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Waste reduction practices — Is there a real system in place for repurposing scraps and remnants, rather than sending them to a landfill?
The Mercury Mosaics Approach to Sustainable Tile
Most tile manufacturers treat scraps as waste. Our Revival Tile initiative turns remnant tile into Wall Art and Sale Tile collections, keeping otherwise-unused material in circulation instead of in a landfill. Tile is fired in-house using traditional methods, and partnerships like Mosaic Candy Shop and Room + Board to extend the life of scrap tile even further. These aren't abstract commitments; they're built into how the studio operates day to day.
American-Made Tile From Minneapolis
All Mercury Mosaics tiles are handcrafted at our studio's production facility in Minneapolis, located in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. Our domestic manufacturing model shortens the supply chain considerably compared to tile imported overseas, cutting down on the transportation emissions that come with shipping tile across oceans before it ever reaches a jobsite.
Small Batch Production
Small batch production means tile is made to match real demand rather than run at high volume to fill a warehouse, cutting down on the material overrun and excess inventory that often comes with machine-made, mass-produced tile.
Align Wall Art with Room & Board
We've been making the old new again by using remnant (handmade and totally gorgeous) tile, turning them into new masterpieces that are ready to ship and easy to hang. These one-of-a-kind mosaic decor pieces are handcrafted and produced with sustainable, handmade materials alongside our friends at Room + Board.
Read more about this unique collaboration and our effort to continue our sustainable tile practices; The Art of Renewal: Tile Wall Art for Room & Board
Mosaic Candy Shop
Mosaic Candy Shop turns Mercury Mosaics' misfit tile into DIY mosaic kits, giving anyone, not just designers and homeowners mid-renovation, a hands-on, playful way to engage with the Revived Tile program. It's proof that sustainable tile doesn't have to feel like a compromise; it can just be fun.
Sale Tile
We've brushed the dust off beautiful batches of tile sitting on our factory shelves and are offering them at a discounted price. Shop our sale tile selections by the square foot. These discounted batches are one-of-a-kind, totally unique and all yours. With new batches coming out often, don't miss the chance to find the one-of-a-kind tile of your dreams by signing up for our weekly newsletter.
See what goodness people have created with our Sale tile below or browse the full collection.
Bottom Right - Large Moroccan Fish Scales - Satin Black
Photography and Design - Emily Pueringer Design
Warehouse Tile
Last but certainly not least of our revival tile endeavor is our Warehouse Tile. Our production studio is open to the public to not only purchase discounted tile but also to see where the handmade magic happens. Located in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District in the historic Thorp Building, our gorgeous factory is airy, light-filled and inspiring. Come see it for yourself while sorting through hundreds of boxes of beautiful overstock and remnant tile for your next project no matter how big or small.
Custom Mural Repurposing Program
A majority of our Warehouse Tile is also used towards our Custom Mural Repurposing Program. When working on High Custom Mosaics, we love to dip into these not quite perfect pieces to make our mosaics more eco-friendly. Many of Mercury Mosaics custom installations incorporate 40% or more repurposed broken ceramic tile, turning studio surplus into large-scale sustainable mosaic tile design work that’s both architectural and expressive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are ceramic tiles sustainable?
Ceramic tile is generally durable and long-lasting, but sustainability comes down to its manufacturing process. At Mercury Mosaics, we use regionally sourced materials, traditional firing methods and we take a deliberate, thoughtful approach to using remnant material, all making a real difference in the footprint our tile leaves behind.
What makes Mercury Mosaics’ tile sustainable?
With some businesses, sustainability is little more than a marketing term. At Mercury Mosaics, it’s built into the process. From our locally sourced materials to using traditional firing methods that cut down on energy use and transportation to our remnant tile that becomes one-of-a-kind Wall Art and Sale Tile, almost nothing goes to waste. Even our scraps find new life, like through the Mosaic Candy Shop.
Is handmade ceramic tile more sustainable than mass produced?
In a lot of ways, yes. Handmade tile is usually produced in smaller batches, made from locally sourced materials which reduce the energy and transportation footprint of mass manufacturing. Handmade ceramic tile also lends itself naturally to upcycling, since no two tiles are identical to begin with, imperfect or leftover pieces are easy to repurpose into something beautiful rather than be discarded.
