Stone-Ideas.com 
Presentation on September 25, 2026, at 10.30, at Marmomac at the Technology Forum in Hall 2
Recycling is a big topic in the stone sector, and reusing marble processing sludge (known in Italian as „marmettola“) is an even bigger and more urgent issue. Until now, immense amounts of this natural stone material have been treated as waste and dumped in landfills. Under the title of “Zero Stone Waste“, a research project was started in July 2023 to find ways to turn this waste into marketable products. Participants included the Istituto Internazionale del Marmo (ISIM), Micromarmo Granulati company, the University of Verona, and other organizations.
The results will be presented on September 25, 2026, at 10.30, at Marmomac, at the Technology Forum in Hall 2.
The new products made of waste are paste mortar and agglomerate:
* Waterproof mortar, adhesive mortar, lightweight mortar, self-leveling mortar,
* agglomerate for blocks, slabs and 3d design objects.
The procedures have been demonstrated at the headquarters of Micromarmo Granulati in July 2026.
Until now, waste dumping has caused high costs for companies. “Putting in place some innovative circular economy practices, the recycling of natural stones, such as marbles, granites, quartz or basalts, will turn costs into profits for companies, will mitigate the environment impact (transport and disposal of stone powders and sludges) and will avoid losing land now dedicated to landfilling“, as stated on the project webpage.
“Waste from quarries and mines represents the second-largest waste stream in the European Union, accounting for 26.6 % of the total waste produced on the continent in 2018,“ according to Eurostat.
The project was co-funded by the European Union. Support also came from the Confindustria Marmomacchine association, the Veneto Region, the Verona Marble District, the Veneto Green Cluster, and Veronafiere, the organizer of the Marmomac fair.
Contact: Roberto Bianconi, LinkedIn
