Ceramic Tiles of Italy Green Forum

Sustainable Products and Technological Innovations From Cersaie 2009

Cersaie is an annual platform for innovation and forward-thinking design. Now twenty-seven years strong, this exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings never seems to disappoint. While major trends did emerge, this year, as no surprise, all eyes were on sustainable solutions and energy-saving technologies, especially in the Italian ceramic sector.

Recycled content and responsible production processes that reduce waste and water and lower energy consumption were top of mind for just about every Italian tile manufacturer at Cersaie. Addressing the sustainable movement head-on, many are actively promoting their green platform and have also joined the Green Building Council Italia and the US Green Building Council to be major players in the industry. Never complacent, the Italian tile industry is using state-of-the-art new technologies to produce more eco-friendly slim formats, new forms of solar paneling and even an antibacterial tile.

Reduce
Using less material is one way to reduce a carbon footprint. Many manufacturers used the fair to launch their new slim format porcelains. Unlike previous years, the tendency moved towards tiles that are 4-5mm thick as this size is strong enough for high-traffic floors and more sustainable to produce and ship. The compact thickness means it takes a smaller amount of energy and raw materials to produce and causes a lower level of harmful emissions to transmit. In terms of installation, the slim format tiles can be laid over existing hard surfaces, therefore cutting down on construction costs and saving valuable time. This innovative format is available in: Florim’s (the parent company of Floor Gres, Cerim, Rex, Casamood, Casa Dolce Casa) "Slim/4," Cotto D’Este’s "Kerlite," Atlas Concorde’s "Linea," Mirage’s "Atelier," FAP’s "MissFap," La Fabbrica’s "Cathay 4Fine," Marazzi’s "Zero 4," Del Conca’s "Zero 5;" Laminam’s "Sketch," "Oxide," "Jungle," "Metropolis," "Blend" and "Filo."

Reuse
Of particular significance this year is the partnership between the Concorde Group (Refin, Marca Corona, Atlas Concorde, Supergres and Caesar) and Remedia, the leading Italian corporation specializing in the collection and recycling of RAEE (electronic appliance waste). An industry first, this strategic partnership has led to the creation of a ceramic product that is manufactured using 20% post-consumer recycled material derived from the glass of obsolete cathode ray tube (CRT) TV monitors.

Recycle
From raw material to water, recyclability is the name of the game. In terms of production and responsible management, Italian tile manufacturers have a geographical edge as they are organized in industrial districts and have direct control on the environmental and social impact of their manufacturing operations (air, water, waste) as well as the local trade of their products. Novabell, for example, is able to reuse 100% of the wastewater derived from the production cycle process, resulting in a more than 50% reduction in the premises’ water requirements and reducing external discharge to zero. Manufacturers are also reusing the raw discards from the production process in the clay mix. New collections from Emilceramica, Ergon Engineered Stone, Caesar, Refin, Casalgrande Padana, Trend, Cedir, Fioranese, Pastorelli, Coem, Imola, Ragno, Impronta Ceramiche, Novabell, Viva, Lea Ceramiche and Marca Corona are a testament to the industry’s commitment to sustainability as many contain at least 40% pre-consumer recycled content.

Energy-Saving Applications
The Italian tile industry has been actively promoting the use of ventilated wall facades. Marazzi offers an entire system, including substruct and fasteners, while dozens of others produce tiles suitable for this type of forward-thinking cladding technique. At Cersaie, yet another way to involve tile in energy-saving forms emerged. That is through the use of solar panels. Area Industrie Ceramiche’s ground-breaking, new "Tegolasolare" is catapulting itself into the future of solar paneling. The main feature of "Tegolasolare" is the perfect integration of the solar panel system into the architecture of the building’s roof. Every individual "Tegolasolare" tile is larger than an ordinary roof tile. A small, modular, discreet photovoltaic panel is fitted on the front. Each panel is connected to the next by means of an electrical system, connected in turn to a control unit that "collects" the energy produced by the photovoltaic system and feeds it into the power supply network. With the aid of the state-of-the-art technology, Area has taken the outstanding characteristics of traditional clay tiles, their proven stability and convenient mounting; and transformed them into a source for clean energy. With the new system, each "Tegolasolare" tile incorporates a portion of the overall solar power system. From the outside, the roof looks exactly the same, ensuring the traditional visual impact of a clay tile roof, but it actually conceals a major technological innovation that will allow the production of sustainable energy.

On a similar note, when used in conjunction with solar panels, Del Conca’s new radiant heating "Therma System" brings additional savings in the form of tax incentives. Brand new, the system consists of a slim 5mm tile, "Zero5" that adheres to an innovative mesh just 4mm thick with carbon fiber heating elements that are able to give off heat immediately. While skeptics would prefer a longer test-drive, this new source is said to yield a better performance than the majority of materials traditionally used.

Health and Wellness
Using the latest nanotechnologies, Casalgrande Padana "Bios" has developed a collection that is ideal for health facilities, research labs, schools, wellness centers, restaurants, and other areas where hygiene and cleanliness are of the utmost importance. During the processing stages, the ceramic material is combined with mineral particles to generate an extremely effective antibacterial reaction. The patented product (patent no M02005A000232), which is available in all the series from the extensive Granitogres and Marmogres lines, is the result of a research project conducted in collaboration with the Department of Microbiology of the University of Modena. It has proven highly effective, since it can achieve a 99.9% reduction of the four main bacteria families: Staphylococcus aureus (a spherical bacterium that commonly causes staph infections), Enterococcus faecalis (a commensal organism that can cause life-threatening infections in humans especially those in hospitals), Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a common bacterium that can cause disease in animals and humans).

Although not new to the market, Gambarelli’s "Oxygena" still deserves ample bragging rights for being the first patented tile to act as an air purifier by eliminating contaminating gases through its surface. The tiles contain titanium dioxide, an element that reacts to and neutralizes polluting gases, thus rendering them harmless. When solar rays hit the surface of the tiles, titanium dioxide (thanks to its photo catalytic properties) produces active oxygen, which then oxidizes polluting gases. The gases are transformed into nitrate ions that, combined with water or other elements, become eco-efficient. While it can be laid indoors, Oxygena is designed for outdoor applications as it can also help clean the air of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide produced by vehicles, central-heating systems and domestic cookers.