On May 16, the event “Sustainable Materials – A Possible Future” was held, on the occasion of the 2023 Festival of Sustainable Development, at the Mattioli Auditorium of the Governor’s Palace in Parma.
The aim of the event was to create synergies between the public administration and the companies in the Parma area, as well as the entire Emilia Romagna region, to work on low-impact materials, particularly industrial waste, in order to reduce CO2 emissions and create a sustainable supply chain in the construction sector.
During the meeting, Councilor Gianluca Borghi stressed that Parma is one of the 9 Italian cities that – together with other European cities – are aiming for Climate Neutral 2030, that is, the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030, by zeroing or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Parma was selected by the European Commission as one of the hundred cities participating in the Climate-neutral Smart cities mission.
The project presented during the event focuses on the creation of a recovery supply chain for low-environmental impact waste materials, with the aim of reducing waste and generating new activities and jobs. The Municipality of Parma, Environmental Protection Sector, participates as the lead partner in the project “Laboratories for technological transfer for the development of low environmental impact materials with industrial waste to be used as flooring or panels“, with a budget of 80,000 euros funded by the Emilia Romagna Region.
The realization of circular processes and the virtuous reuse of waste materials represent a fundamental solution to reduce environmental impacts and the demand for raw materials. In this sense, the territorial laboratory for innovation and sustainability of companies in Emilia Romagna, for the biennium 2022-2023, consists in the creation of collaborative laboratories between the Local Authority, Research and Companies to create a supply chain for the reuse of waste materials for the production of low environmental impact materials such as flooring for pedestrian or bicycle areas or architectural elements.
The project envisages three phases:
- Involvement of stakeholders interested in providing waste material;
- Technological research for the realization of pavements using low-environmental impact binders;
- Study of the prototyping of the supply chain.
The objective is to reduce waste through a virtuous reuse in support of a local circular economy and to be able to start a supply chain that minimizes transport to maximize the low environmental impact.
The Clust-er Build cluster aims to support these synergies, and the project sees the close collaboration between the Municipality of Parma and the project partner and the project partner Studio MM – Laboratorio della Rete Alta Tecnologia of the region, with the support of the Gruppo Imprese Artigiane, which involved several local actors.
Csplast is among the actors involved by the GIA Group and has enthusiastically collaborated on this important initiative in the field of sustainability by providing various types of thermoplastic waste to Studio MM.These materials were used to create test specimens, which demonstrated the feasibility of using plastic waste to create bricks useful for example as insulating panels or as blocks for partition elements in construction or compressed flooring for cycle paths.
The Clust-Er Edilizia e Costruzioni of the Emilia Romagna Region will disseminate the results and organize information sessions aimed at a large audience of subjects interested in the virtuous reuse of waste materials, in support of a local circular economy.
In conclusion, the project represents an important step forward towards the adoption of sustainable practices and the creation of a circular economy, in which waste becomes a precious resource for the production of new materials with low environmental impact. The participation of different entities, including Csplast, demonstrates how common commitment can lead to concrete and positive results for the environment and the community.
