The ceramic tile industry in the challenge of sustainability through resource efficiency.

The purpose of this contribution is to draw a critical picture of the situation of the ceramic tile industry, which must face the challenge of converting to a low carbon economy, from the point of view of the management of raw materials and the circular economy, discussing criticalities and providing scenarios for product innovation. The actions put in place to improve sustainability of ceramic tiles (pollution prevention, environmental labels, best available technologies, industrial technology roadmap, standard on sustainability) are briefly reviewed to highlight how resource efficiency is involved. The pitfalls along the path to a low-carbon economy are outlined through the life cycle studies in the literature, which both provide hotspot diagnosis and propose corrective actions. The role of resource efficiency in sustainability practices is critically discussed with regard to the supply chain, waste valorization, technological value of raw materials, critical raw materials and hazardous substances, and the circularity of the ceramic tile industry.