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Rethinking the roots
A project to integrate environmental, economic, and social sustainability into every stage of the ceramic production process through an innovative Life Cycle Management protocol.
FUNDING
Ministry of Economic Development – Sustainable Growth Fund (Ministerial Decree of October 15, 2014)
PROJECT CODE
F/030029/01/X28
DURATION
December 2015 — November 2019
THE CONTEXT
A challenge for the Italian ceramic district
A challenge for the Italian ceramic district
When the project began, the Italian ceramic industry was recognized worldwide for its manufacturing excellence. Over time, manufacturers in the Sassuolo district had built up a competitive advantage based on quality, technological innovation, and the ability to respond to the most sophisticated needs of contemporary architecture.
However, this leadership was confronted with a structural paradox. The high level of integration in the supply chain had led to a gradual standardization of the finished product, making price the only competitive lever, a dynamic that penalized Italian companies exposed to competition from countries with lower production costs.
Added to this critical issue was a structural dependence on imported raw materials (Ukrainian clays and Turkish feldspars) with significant implications in terms of logistical, geopolitical, and environmental vulnerability.
In this context, the transition to more sustainable production models was not only an ethical imperative, but a necessary condition for regaining differentiation capabilities and building a lasting competitive advantage. A new approach was needed, one capable of integrating technological innovation, supply chain optimization, and assessment tools that simultaneously considered the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability.
70% of non-EU raw materials in traditional ceramic bodies
1,000+ km average transport distance for imported clays
Hotspot in raw material sourcing
3 separate sustainability assessments
THE PROJECT
A systemic approach to the life cycle
A systemic approach to the life cycle
ROOTS was created to address these challenges with a systemic approach focused on the entire product life cycle. The goal was to develop and validate ceramic tiles with significantly better environmental performance than current products, while creating replicable and scalable methodological tools.
The project combined three fundamental dimensions.
01
01
Reformulation of mixtures
Reformulation of mixtures
Raw materials have been rethought, favoring local and European sources, reducing dependence on imports, and optimizing supply logistics.
02
02
Process innovation
Process innovation
New fluidization, digital glazing, and coloring technologies have been developed to reduce energy consumption and material waste.
03
03
Integrated assessment
Integrated assessment
A new life cycle management protocol, CT-LCM (Ceramic Tiles Life Cycle Management), has been designed to integrate environmental impact assessment, cost analysis, and social impact assessment into a single framework.
The approach adopted was holistic: rather than focusing on isolated individual aspects, ROOTS built an integrated model in which improvements in raw materials, technological innovations, and new decision-making tools reinforce each other. Sustainability was not treated as an external constraint to be complied with, but as a design criterion to be integrated into every industrial decision.
THE PROCESS
Three years of research and experimentation
Three years of research and experimentation
The project was developed over a three-year period divided into complementary phases, each building on the results of the previous ones and aimed at generating knowledge, tools, and concrete solutions.
PHASE 1
Mapping
Analysis and design
Analysis and design
The work began with an in-depth analysis of the ceramic production process, mapping material, energy, and information flows throughout the entire supply chain. Characterization campaigns were conducted on raw materials available on the domestic and European markets, evaluating their technological properties and compatibility with existing industrial processes. At the same time, a mathematical model of the CT-LCM protocol was constructed, capable of correlating process variables with environmental, economic, and social impact indicators.
PHASE 2
Development
Laboratory testing
Laboratory testing
The second phase saw the development of technological solutions. Innovative mixture compositions were formulated, with increasing percentages of domestic and European raw materials. Complete laboratory tests were conducted for each formulation, ranging from chemical and mineralogical characterization to standard technological tests for the ceramic industry.
At the same time, new slip fluidification systems, water-based digital glazes, and high solar reflectance inks for cool-roof applications were developed. An energy-efficient dry micronization plant was also designed and built.
PHASE 3
Scale-up
Industrial validation
Industrial validation
The final phase translated the research results into operational solutions. The most promising formulations were tested on complete production lines, producing significant batches of tiles in different formats. A digital platform based on IoT technologies was installed on the pilot lines, enabling real-time monitoring of energy consumption and process parameters.
The path has not been linear. For example, the sustainability analysis conducted using the CT-LCM protocol showed that the use of ground baked waste, which initially seemed promising, entailed additional costs that compromised its economic sustainability despite the environmental benefits. This led to a reorientation of development towards alternative solutions, confirming the value of a decision-making approach based on integrated assessments rather than individual parameters.
THE RESULTS
Concrete innovations for sustainable ceramics
Concrete innovations for sustainable ceramics
ROOTS has generated a coherent set of integrated results, which form the operational basis for more sustainable and competitive ceramic production.
51%
51%
of local and European raw materials
–30÷35%
–30÷35%
environmental impact in the sourcing phase
–15÷20%
–15÷20%
energy consumption in spray drying
1
1
integrated CT-LCM protocol
A new mixture formulation
A new mixture formulation
The most tangible result of the project is a formulation that combines technological performance equivalent to standard production with a significantly improved sustainability profile. The mixture contains 51% local and European raw materials, compared to 30÷35% in traditional production, with an optimized logistics mix that favors rail transport.
The technological performance has been fully validated: water absorption <0.25%, flexural strength compliant with ISO 10545 standards, 96% production yield, and compatibility with all formats from 20×20 to 60×120 cm.
Process innovations
Process innovations
A new fluidization formula has been developed that allows the preparation of slip with a solid content of 67.4%, compared to the standard 65%. This increase translates into a 15÷20% reduction in energy consumption during the atomization phase.
Water-based glazes and digital binders have also been formulated for application with inkjet technology, eliminating the use of organic solvents. The new formulations reduce the amount of glaze applied by 50% and eliminate the waste typical of traditional techniques.
Finally, ceramic inks with cool-roof properties have been developed, capable of reflecting solar radiation and reducing overheating in buildings in outdoor applications.
New plant technologies
New plant technologies
A dry micronization plant for hard and abrasive materials has been designed and validated, based on an alumina ball mill operating in an air stream. The system guarantees controlled particle sizes down to 45 μm with high energy efficiency and no iron contamination.
An innovative device for dry coloring of ceramic atomized material has also been developed, which reduces energy consumption and ensures a more uniform distribution of the pigment. The technology can also be transferred to the fertilizer, animal feed supplement, and soil conditioner sectors.
Digital platform for monitoring
Digital platform for monitoring
A digital infrastructure based on IoT technologies has been implemented for real-time monitoring of energy consumption and process parameters. The wireless architecture reduces infrastructure costs, integrates with existing information systems, and supports predictive maintenance, feeding the impact assessment system with real production data.
The CT-LCM protocol
The CT-LCM protocol
The life cycle management system developed integrates the assessment of environmental, economic, and social impacts into a single tool. It includes procedures for automated inventory analysis, integrated performance indicators, and a calculation model based on a multidimensional matrix. The protocol has been extended to supply chain partners, laying the foundations for a supply chain-level sustainability assessment.
THE PARTNERSHIP
Integrated skills for innovation
Integrated skills for innovation
ROOTS has brought together an ecosystem of complementary skills, integrating industrial capabilities and academic know-how in an impact-oriented collaboration model.
Gruppo Ceramiche Gresmalt
Gruppo Ceramiche Gresmalt
One of Italy's leading manufacturers of porcelain stoneware, it acted as the industrial reference point for the project. It provided facilities, production lines, and process expertise, enabling the industrial-scale validation of the formulations, technologies, and solutions developed in the research phase.
Zschimmer & Schwarz Ceramco
Zschimmer & Schwarz Ceramco
Specializing in the development of chemical formulations for the ceramics industry, it has contributed to the design and optimization of new fluidizers, digital glazes, and ceramic inks, with a particular focus on reducing energy consumption.
LB Officine
Meccaniche
LB Officine
Meccaniche
Oversaw the design and implementation of the new plant solutions developed in the project, in particular the dry micronization plants and atomized coloring systems, ensuring the industrial viability and energy efficiency of the technologies introduced.
ESA
Energy
ESA
Energy
Developed a digital platform for monitoring energy consumption and process parameters, based on IoT technologies. The solution was integrated with the company's information systems, supporting real-time performance monitoring and feeding into sustainability assessment models.
The project also benefited from the scientific contribution of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), particularly through methodological and analytical expertise in support of sustainability assessment activities and the development of the CT-LCM protocol. Continuous dialogue between applied research and industrial experimentation reinforced the robustness of the results and facilitated their operational transfer.
THE IMPACT
The new foundations of ceramics
The new foundations of ceramics
ROOTS has demonstrated that the transition to more sustainable ceramic production is possible, economically advantageous, and technically feasible with the skills and technologies available today.
The model developed offers a concrete response to the challenges facing the sector: it reduces dependence on imported raw materials, optimizes the environmental impact of the procurement phase, improves the efficiency of production processes, and lays the foundations for transparent communication of the environmental value of products.
The results of the project are not confined to the partners involved. The CT-LCM protocol and the solutions developed are designed to be shared and adapted, contributing to the transformation of the Italian ceramic supply chain and offering a replicable model for other manufacturing sectors.
The very name of the project, ROOTS, evokes the idea of a return to our origins: not out of nostalgia, but out of the awareness that building a sustainable future requires us to rethink the foundations of the way we produce. A concrete contribution to building an industry capable of generating lasting value for businesses, communities, and the environment.
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