The new opportunity comes from the circular economy (link to the section) and is the result of an all-Italian entrepreneurial intuition.
Just like a phoenix, sanpietrini is rising from the ashes: not its own but those left over from thermal waste recycling processes.
An ecological, eco-sustainable stone on which to build huge advantages for the environment, the territory and the communities.
In Rome, but also in many other Italian and European cities, the streets of the old town center are often characterized by a type of paving stone that has now become an icon: sanpietrini (or sampietrini). This parallelepiped of dark stone originated in Rome in the 1500s and was laid for the first time in the streets of the district surrounding St Peter’s Basilica, from which it takes its name. Renowned for its solidity and resistance, sanpietrini has survived until the present day.
Today its centuries-old history has a new future.
The new opportunity comes from the circular economy (link to the section) and is the result of an all-Italian entrepreneurial intuition.
An increasingly green one, because it helps to safeguard the environment. Indeed, eco-compatible sanpietrini is a “product that enables the continuous reproduction of the stone, without problems related to the procurement of the material, offering many advantages in terms of cost and performance” remarks Francesco Borgomeo, president of Saxa Gres.
Thanks to the partnership between Acea and Saxa Gres, today, sanpietrini is ready to embark on its second life, remaining loyal to itself in terms of form but with a brand new substance. It’s called Grestone and it is the first example in the world of ceramic paste made by re-using the ashes left over from the thermal recycling of waste.
Only the ashes produced at the Acea thermal waste recycling plant in San Vittore is used to create sanpietrini. These are then transferred to the Saxa Gres plant in Roccasecca where they are used to create Grestone.
“The re-use of leftover ashes is not completely new: for example, they have already been used to produce cement” adds journalist Alessio Porcu, who has been reporting on these issues for some time. “Here, the true innovation lies in their use in the ceramizing process which ensures an even higher level of safety: because the dust is encapsulated within the ceramic, making it impossible for it to leak out and be dispersed into the environment.”
It is not absorbent, has anti-slip certification and needs no maintenance. It can be reproduced continuously, with no problems regarding the procurement of the material, is processed with extreme flexibility to recreate all types of silex in a wide variety of sizes and colors, and it is fully eco-compatible.
Sanpietrini in Grestone is 10 times more resistant and 3 times lighter than that made with traditional basalt.
This circular economy project not only offers benefits for the environment but also a new opportunity on a social level for plants and workers alike. “In 3 years we have saved 4 factories from closure thanks to this re-conversion process. Approximately 1,000 people have kept their jobs as a result, re-employed in the new production processes carried out in the former Marazzi South site in Anagni, the ex Tagina plant in Gualdo Tadino, the former Centro Impasti Ceramici in Spilamberto and the ex Ideal Standard site in Roccasecca” continues Borgomeo.
An operation which has spawned the first industrial eco-friendly ceramic district in central Italy (Lazio and Umbria), second in importance only to the ceramic industry district in Sassuolo.
Now that the trial period has been successfully concluded, in the Roccasecca plant everything is ready for the production launch. In fact the plant should be fully operational from January 2020. Even if a number of eco-friendly sanpietrini sales have already been made.
In November, the first Italian sidewalk paved with sanpietrini in Grestone will be officially opened in the Eur district of Rome.
Other inaugurations will follow, not only in Italy, but also in the US, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. “The market is responding extremely well. The product has met with a great response.” concludes Borgomeo, with great satisfaction.
This time our future is not so much rosy as green. And so here’s wishing a long, happy second life to our beloved sanpietrini!
We invest in the circular economy, transforming waste into new energy and high quality compost.