The Clean Tech in the Italian Manufacturing
Italy is working to develop and use technolgies with less and less environmental footprint, As a result, the ecological impact is decreased by 7.7% in 2008 - 2012:
- Emissions: - 8,9% per unit of manufactured goods
- Waste: - 6.8% per unit of manufactured goods
- Energy consumption: - 20.3% per unit of manufactured goods
Wood-furniture industry
eco-friendly raw materials, energy efficiency, attentions to the life cycle of the goods are the key aspects on which the supply-chain of Italian wood and furniture industry is investing, to reduce their environmental impact. One Italian in three would indeed be willing to pay a furniture 10% more, just to buy an environmentally friendly product. An interesting trend is the one that sees the steady increase in ecological raw material: the purchase or the production of certified wood is, in fact, becoming a distinctive element, especially for companies active in European or North American markets. Italian companies also are moving toward the use of natural materials and less polluting substances, with the replacement of solvent-based products with the water-based, which are completely odorless, non-flammable and very low level of toxicity, allowing 95% reduction in the release of VOCs (Volatile Organic compounds) than traditional ones.
Textile
In the textile industry, many companies, convinced that sustainable fashion is not only ethically more just, but also more cost-effective and competitive, have developed green solutions for the procurement of materials: from certified organic supply-chains, to recycling and development of innovative fabrics, to the recovery and development of handicrafts. significant are also the investments in process innovation: here, the Research goes towards the development of technologies to reduce emissions, liquid and gas, and reduce energy and water consumption. In recent months, other six Italian companies have signed the Detox commitment, proposed by Green Peace, to eliminate the use of 11 harmful substances from production. In parallel, in Italy we continue to grow the number of the certificates issued by the Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification - ICEA, for which Italy maintains its second position in the European context. The introduction into the market of "second-life" yarn and fabric is one of the most interesting drivers for developing sustainable products. Recycling is not only helpful to reduce the environmental impact, but it can create a new internal supply chain and resulting jobs, reducing dependence on Countries producing raw materials.
Mechanical engineering
the Italian mechanical engineering is investing since a long time in innovation, to produce environmentally-friendly systems that allow their users to minimize the use of resources - energy, water, raw materials - and contain costs. Environmental sustainability becomes an important asset to compete in a market characterized by strong competition from Asian products at low cost, which, however, do not guarantee the quality and the reliability. And it is indeed a country in the Far East, China, to be the target market of the Italian mechano-textile industry. In the absence of models, for the development of sustainable products, designed specifically for the machine tool sector, the Italian manufacturers are voluntary adopting instruments that certify the environmental performance of their products. The transparency of technical information thus becomes the first step to make visible the focus of Italian businesses to eco-compatibility issues.