Union Tiles has used JoJo Tanks to manufacture cost effective, environmentally friendly tiles.

As handmade terrazzo tiles enjoy a global surge in popularity, Union Tiles, one of the largest independent tile distributors and manufacturers in South Africa, decided to install an onsite water recycling system at their Bedfordview factory.

“The manufacture of terrazzo tiles is a water-intensive process. They are pressed, cured, then polished through a diamond polishing procedure. Most of the water is used to polish the tiles with diamond abrasives. After pressing, the tiles have a cement finish and are sent through a linear diamond polisher, which polishes the face of the tile and exposes the marble stone within the tile. Water is used in the process to polish the tiles up to a high shine and gloss,” explains Union Tiles production manager, Warren Calvey.

A dam on the property provided water for the manufacturing process. Water is pumped from the dam to the factory and is stored in JoJo Tanks, which each hold 5000 litres. After the polishing process, the water is then gathered at the bottom of the machine in sumps or water pits, and pumped back to the dam, and from the dam, on a separate pumping system, is pumped back to the factory and stored in the JoJo tanks.

The JoJo Tanks play a key role in ensuring that the tiles are cost effective and environmentally friendly. “The terrazzo tile is a completely natural product, with a green footprint.  “Without this recycling system, the tiles would not be cost effective to manufacture ore environmentally friendly due to the large volumes of water used in their manufacture. We use 30, 5 000 litre JoJo Tanks that are operational in the factory alone that are drawn to their daily capacity. It is an effective, cost-efficient system,” says Calvey.

Union Tiles have close to 50, 5 000 litre JoJo tanks on site that serve a dual purpose; to store water and recycle it to the manufacturing plant as well as for rainwater harvesting to service the office buildings and other water points. This translates into an important water cost saving for Union Tiles.

Incorporating the iconic JoJo Tanks into their recycling system will ensure this long-established business continues to produce the classic terrazzo tiles in a manner that is cost-effective, efficient and environmentally friendly.