The first phase of the project consisted in research designed to identify the good environmental and circular economy practices developed by the eight manufacturers. The environmental and social impact of the various company initiatives was measured.

The best practices identified revolved around the following:

– renewable energy sources;

– environmental product and/or organisation  analysis (LCA, EPD, Carbon Footprint, Eco-Label);

– environmental policy formalisation and agreement;

– production cycle raw material and waste reduction;

– staff training.

This analysis followed on from specific company assessments designed to detect and identify production process specificities, company certifications and strategies – implemented or in the making – in the energy and environmental fields.

The research enabled the following significant environmental impact reduction results from the eight sponsor firms to be measured in aggregate form:

– a reduction, in 2019 alone, of around 25,000 tons of CO2 emissions, accounting for around 7% of the Terni/Narni industrial sector’s total emissions;

– energy consumption reductions of up to 60% on lighting, thanks to the use of LED lights;

– up to 80% of the total materials used in manufacturing from recycled materials;

– up to 100% of production waste reused as manufacturing raw materials or compost;

– on-site electrical and thermal energy production via cogeneration, with up to 30% fuel reductions;

– investment of 5% to 20% of profits in research and development in atmospheric emission reduction and innovative, sustainable product development;

– drinking water consumption reductions thanks to process water recycling and rainwater use;

– involvement of suppliers in waste reduction projects and raw material production/supply process optimisation;

– dematerialisation and digitalisation projects designed to reduce paper consumption;

– product life cycle analyses recognised by certifications such as EPD (Environmental Product Declarations), Carbon Footprint and Eco-Label.