Solution Title
New model of circular economy that also predisposes the use of waste materials in other industries
Solution Title (in English)
Sectors
Eco-products, Circular economy, Value chains
Markets
Ceramic industry
Description
The LIFE ECLAT project’s main objective is to close the loop of the manufacturing cycle of ceramic countertops and tiles in line with the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. This starts with the incoming atomised powders, leading to the finished products by means of mechanical and thermal processes, and finally to the recycling of end-of-life products through re-use by deconstruction operations.
The project will introduce an innovative forming process using belt-pressing of atomised powders that have undergone prior decoration using a dry inkjet-system. Once the initial ceramic slab is formed, it is cut to size and polished before firing. So, any possible waste generated during machining operations can be directly reused in the same manufacturing process. This is also enabled by the use of diamond-coated tools, or pure steel ones, which do not contaminate the waste generated – i.e. being much more resistant to abrasion than the material being processed. A simple ‘green cutting’ operation brings the slab to the desired size and the excess parts can be used in other possible formats, or directly recycled on site. The reverse side of the new ceramic slabs will also be smoother which will facilitate both installation and dismantling.
Packaging will also be improved to avoid any generation of waste or additional use of resources. The packaging is produced on site and on demand, beginning with cardboard rollers, which are cut to size, folded and printed, but cover only part of the finished ceramic product. The result is a reduction of 60-70% of the cardboard normally required.
