In the past years, several programmes have been started to propagate ‘best practices, cultural behaviour and process thinking’ in the industrial business model to promote transition from a linear economy to a circular one.... [ view full abstract ]
In the past years, several programmes have been started to propagate ‘best practices, cultural behaviour and process thinking’ in the industrial business model to promote transition from a linear economy to a circular one. The European commission published the paper ‘Closing the loop – EU Action Plan for Circular Economy’, that includes a programme for ‘zero-waste’ with clear targets for waste management and recycling. The WINCER project as referred to in this document (Waste synergy in the production of INnovative CERamic tiles, http://www.wincer-project.eu) is part of these initiatives. In the WINCER Project, Marazzi Group S.r.l. and Centro Ceramico Bologna have developed a ceramic tile that has the same technical and aesthetic performance as that of a traditional ceramic tile, but uses a high percentage of secondary materials (up to 80%).
In this document summary we present the LCA study, assessing the production of this innovative “green” ceramic tile. The study was conducted based on ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. In addition, as ceramic tiles are mostly used in the building & constructions sector, also the guidelines of EN 15804 have been followed. The scope of the study is limited to a “cradle-to-gate” life cycle assessment in a pilot production. The software used to conduct the LCA study is GaBi 8 and the databases used for upstream/downstream materials and the energy production process, which is aligned with GaBi 2017. Additional to the standard LCA report we decide to use the LCA model to calculate the Material Circularity Indicator (an indicator that estimates the circularity of a product in terms of material use), for which we used the GaBi circularity tool developed by thinkstep.
From the overall results we learn that most impact categories and LCI parameters are dominated by energy processes: global warming potential, ozone depletion and photochemical oxidation are attributed for more than 80% to energy consumption. The only impact relevant for raw materials are for abiotic depletion potential elements (ADPe) which is linked to inks and glazes that contain mineral oxides. At the same time a very high MCI value (around 0,86 on 1) confirmed a high circularity aspect of this tile.
Ceramic industries work ‘circular’ in several aspects: starting from a high level of production scraps recovery, re-use of waste as secondary material and re-use of water after treatment. The usage of secondary materials (aspect emphasized in the WINCER mixture) and the water re-use cycle, prove to be a best practice network between not only internal, but also external production processes, creating a great virtuous circle. Besides the LCA study shows how significant the energy aspect is. Renewable energy sources can therefore significantly improve energy efficiency and the environmental performance of production on an industrial level.
As to the LCA study, we believe evidence is provided that the methodology can definitely help explore and identify opportunities in circular product re-design and development.
5c. Circular economy, zero waste & innovation
