The FONCER supplementary pension fund is one of the first examples of corporate welfare promoted by a business association in cooperation with the trade unions.

The Mediterranean house serves as a model in the search for new forms of circular economy in the construction industry by responding to the challenge of climate change while drawing from the architectural tradition. This type of dwelling is closely linked to the characteristics of the local area and is traditionally constructed with extensive use of Italian ceramic products and locally sourced materials.

Italian ceramic products meet the Minimum Environmental Criteria laid down by the Italian Ministry of the Environment for use in public administration building contracts.

The Italian ceramic tile industry keeps constantly abreast of the risk factors associated with manual load handling. In recent years, the industry has introduced a number of technical/organisational measures and adopted shared protocols aimed at improving occupational well-being and preventing the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders.

The Italian ceramic tile industry is working to integrate photovoltaic technology into ceramic tiles in order to develop a cladding material that will be capable of reducing the energy consumption of buildings and optimising the exchange of heat between the interior and exterior. The first prototypes have shown promising results for use in the most innovative green building projects.

Italian ceramic tiles inhibit the proliferation of germs and bacteria and avoid the wastage of water for everyday cleaning.

By implementing the recommendations of the “Guide to CE Marking” drawn up through a constructive dialogue between the Emilia-Romagna regional government, the Modena and Reggio Emilia local health authorities, the trade unions and ceramic industry employers, the Italian ceramic tile industry meets the requirements of the European Machinery Directive.

This article describes the way in which Italian ceramic products meet the criteria established by the new European directives regarding the circular economy and demonstrates how they can be reclaimed and reused in new construction projects.

Approved in 2018, it is a unique, international standard for evaluating the environmental, economic and social impact of ceramic tiles.

Thanks to the Wincer project, it is now possible to produce ceramic tiles with materials originating from municipal and industrial waste.