230
A. Tartaglia
economy. In this sense, the role of the building sector and all the related industrial
activities is fundamental to perceive this ambitious goal.
From the point of view of environmental impact and energy demand, many significant advancements have been made with regards to construction: especially, the
new NZEB construction (nearly zero energy building) and passive houses are goals
that, even if with significant design efforts and frequent financial issues, can already
be obtained using products and solutions on the market. So, it is undeniable that
nowadays the weakest phases in building processes are the construction and the end
of life phases.
In this sense, there have also been numerous initiatives, including of a legislative
nature, aimed at encouraging the reduction of consumption and impacts related to the
construction of buildings. An example is the minimal environmental criteria (MEC)
2
which are compulsory in the public market and define the minimal environmental
standards for design solutions, products and services throughout the life cycle, taking
into account current market availability. For the construction activities, among many
specific requests, there is a more general indication that at least 15% of the weight
of all materials used for a building must be guaranteed to be recycled material.
In fact, waste management is a central issue in the proper use of resources. According to EU data construction activities alone produce almost 900 million tons of waste
per year out of a total production (household rubbish, manufacturing wastes, etc.) in
Europe of 3 billion tons every year (European Commission 2010).
Regarding household rubbish, the separate waste collection has certainly been an
important improvement, but it still presents multiple critical issues with respect to
the real recyclability of all the materials collected. For example, in Italy in 2017 glass
collection produced non-reusable waste for about 250 kilo tons (VVAA 2018).
2 Scenario of the Research
This scenario and the studies developed by Enrico Bernardo (Materials Engineering
Department of Università degli Studi di Padova) in the field of glass-based materials
was the foundation on which the study entitled “Ethical concrete” was conceived
with the aim of exploring the possibility of using waste products deriving from the
differentiated collection of glass in the production processes of concrete products.
The study was funded by a call for research and development by the Tuscany Region
3
to a group of three companies operating in the sectors involved (separate collection
2 The MEC (in Italian Criteri Ambientali Minimi—CAM) involve multiple activities and sectors
in addition to construction, for example, electronic office equipment; interior furnishings; street
furniture; social aspects in public procurement; incontinence aids; paper; printer cartridges; public
lighting; cleaning and hygiene products; urban waste; collective catering and foodstuffs; sanitation
for hospital facilities; energy services for buildings; textiles; vehicles; public green. The MEC are
constantly updated and those related to building and design has been updated in 2017. The updated
list and its contents are published on the Website of the competent Ministry.
3 Bando Unico R&S 2012—Regione Toscana.
A. Tartaglia
economy. In this sense, the role of the building sector and all the related industrial
activities is fundamental to perceive this ambitious goal.
From the point of view of environmental impact and energy demand, many significant advancements have been made with regards to construction: especially, the
new NZEB construction (nearly zero energy building) and passive houses are goals
that, even if with significant design efforts and frequent financial issues, can already
be obtained using products and solutions on the market. So, it is undeniable that
nowadays the weakest phases in building processes are the construction and the end
of life phases.
In this sense, there have also been numerous initiatives, including of a legislative
nature, aimed at encouraging the reduction of consumption and impacts related to the
construction of buildings. An example is the minimal environmental criteria (MEC)
2
which are compulsory in the public market and define the minimal environmental
standards for design solutions, products and services throughout the life cycle, taking
into account current market availability. For the construction activities, among many
specific requests, there is a more general indication that at least 15% of the weight
of all materials used for a building must be guaranteed to be recycled material.
In fact, waste management is a central issue in the proper use of resources. According to EU data construction activities alone produce almost 900 million tons of waste
per year out of a total production (household rubbish, manufacturing wastes, etc.) in
Europe of 3 billion tons every year (European Commission 2010).
Regarding household rubbish, the separate waste collection has certainly been an
important improvement, but it still presents multiple critical issues with respect to
the real recyclability of all the materials collected. For example, in Italy in 2017 glass
collection produced non-reusable waste for about 250 kilo tons (VVAA 2018).
2 Scenario of the Research
This scenario and the studies developed by Enrico Bernardo (Materials Engineering
Department of Università degli Studi di Padova) in the field of glass-based materials
was the foundation on which the study entitled “Ethical concrete” was conceived
with the aim of exploring the possibility of using waste products deriving from the
differentiated collection of glass in the production processes of concrete products.
The study was funded by a call for research and development by the Tuscany Region
3
to a group of three companies operating in the sectors involved (separate collection
2 The MEC (in Italian Criteri Ambientali Minimi—CAM) involve multiple activities and sectors
in addition to construction, for example, electronic office equipment; interior furnishings; street
furniture; social aspects in public procurement; incontinence aids; paper; printer cartridges; public
lighting; cleaning and hygiene products; urban waste; collective catering and foodstuffs; sanitation
for hospital facilities; energy services for buildings; textiles; vehicles; public green. The MEC are
constantly updated and those related to building and design has been updated in 2017. The updated
list and its contents are published on the Website of the competent Ministry.
3 Bando Unico R&S 2012—Regione Toscana.