Eliane Ceramic Tiles, a Brazilian tile manufacturer with a U.S. headquarters in Carrollton, TX, has been awarded the 2009 Ecology Expression Award for the recycling category of the Brazilian ceramic industry.

Eliane's "Ecostone," the first recycled porcelain tile material coming from Brazil, was the product that captured the prize. This 17th edition of the Ecology Expression Awards, which was managed by Expression Magazine, had a strong focus on both economics and business. The most  prestigious environmental award from the south of Brazil, winners were selected after a board of 10 high-ranking industry specialists evaluated 150 projects and then subsequently chose Eliane's Ecostone as the winner.

This is the sixth time Eliane has been chosen as a winner regarding environmental projects and sustainability initiatives, according to the company. Other winning years for Eliane were 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2006. For 2009, the winning project detailed the production process of Ecostone porcelain tile, which became the first and only porcelain tile material "certified as an ecological product," reports Eliane. This was confirmed by BRTUV of the TUV Nord German group, a company specializing in the qualification and certification of products and services.

Eliane invested heavily in the research and development of eco-friendly Ecostone, a sustainable product which reduces waste and allows for the re-use of materials and minimization of energy in the production process. The advantages garnered by customers with Ecostone are obvious. They not only obtain a top-quality, very high-tech ecological product, but it also provides them with long-lasting aesthetics and rugged overall performance. Ecostone porcelain tile reinforces Eliane's uncompromising leadership position as a major contributor to the environment by offering sustainable tile materials.