R&D and sustainability - Franchi Umberto Marmi

A great attention to the culture of marble as a tradition of the town of Carrara, the support for socio-economic development and the respect for and integration with the territory, as always characterized Franchi Umberto Marmi and are a distinctive feature of the brand. One significant achievement in this direction is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a voluntary certification that Franchi Umberto Marmi has implemented which includes the “Environmental Product Declaration” (EPD), a real and ecological trade mark of marble.

From this study emerged that the production of marble slabs causes a very modest environmental impact on air and water given the total absence of chemical substances in the production process. The same supply chain also has a low CO2 impact, in view of the short distances of the raw material “marble” deposits from the processing plants, and a very low energy impact too.

Certifications

The commitment of Franchi Umberto Marmi translates into significant numbers in terms of achievements and certifications. Over the years, the company has adopted an integrated Quality/Environment/Safety certification system, following the international standards ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, respectively. The observance of these standards guarantees the continuing improvement of performance in each category. In following this direction, the company began an analysis of environmental sustainability not limited merely to its own production, but encompassing the entire supply chain of its products, known as LCA (Life Cycle Assessment). In 2020, these insights led to EPD, or “Bettogli Marble slabs of thickness 2 and 3 cm Environmental Product Declaration”, the certification and subsequent publication of an Environmental Product Declaration registered at The International EPD® System.

The study was developed according to the ISO 14040, ISO 14044, ISO 14025 standards and the requirements of the UNI EN 15804 standard and considers all processes related to product operation: from the extraction of raw materials to the production, use and product maintenance, up to the reuse and disposal of all final waste. The published EPD is a verified and registered type 3 environmental declaration, which communicates transparent and comparable information of the environmental impact throughout the product’s entire life cycle. As a result, Franchi Umberto Marmi’s Bettogli marble slabs are recognized all over the world as a material with environmental certification and by the leading green building rating systems: LEED (USA), BREEAM (UK, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, etc.), ENERGY STAR (USA), GREEN STAR (Australia, New Zealand), HQE (France). In Europe, the company is also recognized for its GPP (Green Public Procurement) or “green purchasing”.