Ecomondo is the circular economy fair in Rimini. It is there that Acea e Saxa Gres have written a circular economy page: the company specialized in the production of ceramics and the Roman utility have in fact presented in collaboration the first eco-compatible cobblestone, obtained by reusing the ashes produced by the incineration of waste from the ceramics produced by the San Vittore facility, Frosinone, where Saxa Gres is based.
From his plan to create a series of ecological cobblestones, Saxa Gres had made it a mission to relaunch the business, take over the disused Marazzi Sud factory and reinvent it in a sustainable key and with an international outlet, creating a perfect example of circular economy. The material produced by the company is grestone, a new cheaper and more performing stone made up of a mix of porcelain stoneware that includes up to 30% of materials from urban waste and that in the graphics, shapes and colors is able to reproduce natural stones, including the cobblestones commonly known, but ten times stronger and three times lighter.
“Saxa Gres' initiative has given rise to a new production chain which, in addition to guaranteeing safety and respect for the environment, allows for lower transport costs and a reduction of up to 50% in the final price of the cobblestone,” he commented. Giovanni Vivarelli, president of Acea Ambiente. In the 2019-2022 period, the Roman utility is expected to invest 1,7 billion in sustainability.
During the fair, Estra, Sei Toscana, Acea Ambiente and eleven other companies and public bodies signed an agreement, called Aires - Ambiente Innovazione Ricerca Energia Sviluppo - for the promotion of research, innovation and development in the field of the circular economy and environmental sustainability.
The network contract has a five-year term and provides for the implementation of activities aimed at improving technical and economic performance in the field of The circular economy, the strengthening of innovative and productive capacity at lower costs thanks to the system of economies of scale, and professional training on the subject.
