Made in Italy Eco-Designed Products from Stone Waste: The STONE Project

The Italian manufacturing sector is facing the challenge of transforming supply chains with a circular economy perspective, encompassing technological, organizational, and social aspects. In this regard, the scientific and technical communities are conducting research and experiments to enable the recycling of industrial waste, aiming to reduce the consumption of raw materials and environmental impacts. The Italian stone sector, which continues to hold the European primacy in the extraction and processing of natural stone, generates enormous quantities of waste such as “marmettola” (stone slurry/sludge) and “cocciame” (stone chips) each year. These are partially reused for certain low-value purposes, while the majority is disposed of in landfills, causing significant environmental impacts. In this context, the STONE project aims to propose innovative and eco-friendly materials and components that are Made in Italy, meeting the performance requirements for the design of indoor/outdoor living spaces and temporary housing solutions. Furthermore, a harmonized process for reusing waste from stone processing will be structured to manufacture eco-design products validated in the three reference geoclusters: Sicily, Tuscany and Apulia.