Eco-design of geopolymer-based materials recycling porcelain stoneware wastes: a life cycle assessment study

A comparative “cradle to grave” Life Cycle Analysis between the production processes of ceramic stoneware products and geopolymeric materials obtained by valorizing ceramic wastes is reported. This study presents an effective eco-design approach to obtain sustainable materials through a low energy consumption manufacturing process, a feature that is essential in a historical period of high geopolitical instability which makes the supplying of fossil fuels difficult and particularly expensive. In particular, the possibility of lowering production costs (saving on the cost of waste disposal, using a raw-second material, and a low-temperature production process) could represent a strong contribution to the environmental and economic sustainability of the Italian ceramic industry, which is going through a time of severe financial crisis which due to the unprecedent high cost of raw materials and energy. Finally, the new geopolymeric systems proposed in this paper could be profitably used in the field of green building, art, eco-design, and technical-artistic value-added applications, such as restoration, conservation, and/or rehabilitation of historic monuments, or simply as materials for building revetments.