Circular Economy and Recycling of Pre-consumer …
223
goals of the project (defined by the applicants); typology of activities conducted on
scrap/waste (reduction, recycling, elimination); budget of the project (euro); EU contribution (%); sector of destination of the project; NACE code of destination sector;
type of building product deriving from the project (according to the omniclass_21
system); type of technical element of product deriving from project (according to
the classification of UNI 8290 standard); specific treated scraps/waste; code CER
code of the treated scraps/waste; description of the CER code; positive impacts of
the project (e.g. reduction of CO 2 emissions, reduce of energy consumption, etc.);
progress of the project. At present, the selected and analysed projects are about 100
(considered period from 2004 to 2016). The database, that is periodically updated,
allows to compare, according to a set of reading keys, the selected experiences and to
highlight some features: referring attention to NACE economic activities, emerges
that one of the sectors with more fundings assignments is that relating to the ceramic
industry. Compared to the examined projects, around 40% refers to initiatives that
involve the ceramic industry, the types of innovations implemented refer both to
product innovations and process innovations, and in all of them there is a reduction
and/or elimination of the waste, which is reintroduced into the process. The reasons
that justify this trend are different: this sector has the possibility of being able to
introduce very heterogeneous materials in the mixture (deriving from recycling and
recovery) without compromising the final performance of the product; there is a great
availability of secondary raw materials that can be used for this purpose, aggregates
(Gálvez-Martos et al. 2018) and other types of scraps/waste (WEEE, sludge, etc.);
and finally the positive impacts deriving from these process and product innovation
are far-reaching (reduction of natural resources consumption, etc.). Depending on the
type of secondary raw material, the quantity that can be introduced in the production
mixture is variable, therefore it is not possible to define a univocal trend, but it is
necessary to observe projects.
11
It emerges, in a widespread way, that when the scraps can be reduced to powder, losing
main characteristics, they can be reintroduced in many production processes such as
those related to the production of: thermal insulation (25%),
12 mortar and concrete
(5%) (Awoyera et al. 2018), artificial stone, etc. This apparently could represent a
not efficient innovation, because it represent a downcycling process, but we must
consider that often the recovered material is already poor material, that could not
recover value if not in this way.
Analyzing the beneficiaries of LIFE funding, it is possible to highlight the significant
amount of small- and medium-sized firms (Fig. 2).
Finally, considering the most widespread types of innovation (Fetsis 2017), it emerges
that most of the projects involve improvement of existing production process. There
11 For further details see the projects: LIFE05 ENV/E/000301, LIFE10 ENV/IT/000419, LIFE11
ENV/IT/000036, LIFE12 ENV/IT/000678, 12 LIFE12 ENV/IT/000436.
12 For further details see the projects: LIFE05 ENV/DK/000158, LIFE06 ENV/D/000471, LIFE12
ENV/ES/000079, LIFE07 ENV/IT/000361, LIFE13 ENV/IT/001225.
223
goals of the project (defined by the applicants); typology of activities conducted on
scrap/waste (reduction, recycling, elimination); budget of the project (euro); EU contribution (%); sector of destination of the project; NACE code of destination sector;
type of building product deriving from the project (according to the omniclass_21
system); type of technical element of product deriving from project (according to
the classification of UNI 8290 standard); specific treated scraps/waste; code CER
code of the treated scraps/waste; description of the CER code; positive impacts of
the project (e.g. reduction of CO 2 emissions, reduce of energy consumption, etc.);
progress of the project. At present, the selected and analysed projects are about 100
(considered period from 2004 to 2016). The database, that is periodically updated,
allows to compare, according to a set of reading keys, the selected experiences and to
highlight some features: referring attention to NACE economic activities, emerges
that one of the sectors with more fundings assignments is that relating to the ceramic
industry. Compared to the examined projects, around 40% refers to initiatives that
involve the ceramic industry, the types of innovations implemented refer both to
product innovations and process innovations, and in all of them there is a reduction
and/or elimination of the waste, which is reintroduced into the process. The reasons
that justify this trend are different: this sector has the possibility of being able to
introduce very heterogeneous materials in the mixture (deriving from recycling and
recovery) without compromising the final performance of the product; there is a great
availability of secondary raw materials that can be used for this purpose, aggregates
(Gálvez-Martos et al. 2018) and other types of scraps/waste (WEEE, sludge, etc.);
and finally the positive impacts deriving from these process and product innovation
are far-reaching (reduction of natural resources consumption, etc.). Depending on the
type of secondary raw material, the quantity that can be introduced in the production
mixture is variable, therefore it is not possible to define a univocal trend, but it is
necessary to observe projects.
11
It emerges, in a widespread way, that when the scraps can be reduced to powder, losing
main characteristics, they can be reintroduced in many production processes such as
those related to the production of: thermal insulation (25%),
12 mortar and concrete
(5%) (Awoyera et al. 2018), artificial stone, etc. This apparently could represent a
not efficient innovation, because it represent a downcycling process, but we must
consider that often the recovered material is already poor material, that could not
recover value if not in this way.
Analyzing the beneficiaries of LIFE funding, it is possible to highlight the significant
amount of small- and medium-sized firms (Fig. 2).
Finally, considering the most widespread types of innovation (Fetsis 2017), it emerges
that most of the projects involve improvement of existing production process. There
11 For further details see the projects: LIFE05 ENV/E/000301, LIFE10 ENV/IT/000419, LIFE11
ENV/IT/000036, LIFE12 ENV/IT/000678, 12 LIFE12 ENV/IT/000436.
12 For further details see the projects: LIFE05 ENV/DK/000158, LIFE06 ENV/D/000471, LIFE12
ENV/ES/000079, LIFE07 ENV/IT/000361, LIFE13 ENV/IT/001225.