FASHIONABLY GREEN Year XV - No. 50 - December 2014

Dear Readers, Adriana Spazzoli Realtà Mapei International Editor-in-Chief. in a sector like the building industry, which, particularly in various European countries, has hit an all-time low in terms of the number of companies and employees, there are some businesses that are managing to weather the storm and indeed grow. These are business people - whether they be distributors, construction materials manufacturers or building companies - who have set about reorganising their operations as regards their facilities and human resources, well aware of the changes that are now expected of the system...

Mapei will be present next January too at Domotex and Bau trade fairs Come and visit us! DOMOTEX 17th-20th January, Hannover (Germany) Hall 7, Booth A28 BAU 19th-24th January, Munich (Germany) Hall B6, Booth 502 EDITORIAL inside front cover Investing despite the crisis NEWS On course for Expo 2015 with condence COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT Green policy The 13 concrete examples of Mapei’s green side Carbon Footprint Mapei and the Carbon Footprint project Sustainable management of returned concrete PROJECTS Siemens Sustainability Centre in London Giax Tower in Milan Piazza Duomo in Milan Piazza...

Giorgio Squinzi President and CEO of the Mapei Group. HEADING TOWARDS EXPO 2015 WITH CONFIDENCE AND DETERMINATION Among the readers of Realtà Mapei International there are business partners, customers, designers, opinion leaders and close friends of Mapei. Thanks to their support and determination, the Group has grown over the years and is continuing to expand across the world. Once just a means of communication and work tool aimed at providing information about all the company’s activities and operations, Realtà Mapei International has gradually developed into a very special publication promoting...

2014 was a tricky year for the economy of many countries, and the building industry is certainly suffering most in some nations. Nevertheless, we need to remain condent. We need to believe in ourselves and realise that the building industry is of utmost importance for a nation’s revival. These are tricky times for Mapei, too, but fortunately the Group is still growing right across the world. Today Mapei can boast 68 companies in 48 countries and 64 manufacturing plants. In 2014 the Group managed to achieve a consolidated turnover’s growth of +1.6% in Western Europe, of + 2.5% in Eastern Europe,...

“Green” Policy Transparent and concrete results Mapei’s technology and long-standing commitment to the environment involves the company’s facilities, products and processes el of volatile organic compounds (VOC) which have the ability to improve the quality of the air in buildings where they are employed, for the well-being of both those who use and apply the products and those who actually use the buildings. Since October 2005 these products, tested and certied by qualied international institutes, have been certied and labelled as EMICODE EC1 (very low emission level of volatile organic compounds)...

FASHIONABLY GREEN FOR OVER 30 YEARS THE 13 CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF MAPEI’S GREEN SIDE A HISTORY OF COMMITMENT In the 1980’s Mapei introduced on the global market a line of adhesives and other building products in water dispersion and with very low emission level of volatile organic compounds. They were rst developed in the company’s Research & Development laboratories in Canada and then manufactured in all the Group’s plants. In 2013 Mapei received a joint grant by the Italian Ministry of Environment to calculate the carbon footprint of some of its products. BIOBLOCK TECHNOLOGY This innovative technology,...

A product's life cycle analysis CARBON FOOTPRINT What is a Carbon Footprint? A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the effect of human activity on the greenhouse effect. Expressed in tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq), a Carbon Footprint identies and quanties the consumption of raw materials and energy in the phases within the life cycle of a product or process which are normally associated with the emission of greenhouse gases, that is, those gases responsible for climate change. The Life Cycle Analysis approach The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) approach is used to calculate a Carbon Footprint....

Mapei and the Carbon Footprint project With a view to offer a constant, signicant and tangible improvement in favour of sustainabilin the life cycle of consumer products”. Promoted by the Italian Ministry for the Environment gramme to assess the environmental footprint” through which the Ministry involved Mapei and 200 other companies from Italian industry. support the implementation of low-emission technology. Through this initiative, Mapei has received a joint grant to calculate the Carbon Footprint of some of the cementitious systems for ceramics produced in its manufacturing facilities in...

PROJECTS LAYING CERAMIC TILES Siemens Sustainability Centre in London One of the world’s greenest buildings, achieving Outstanding BREEAM accreditation and Platinum LEED accreditation

Cities are the growth drivers of our future. Half of the world’s population already lives in cities, and the number of city dwellers is rapidly growing. But they also account for the biggest share of energy consumption, CO2 emissions and environmental impact. In order to protect cities for future generations, we need to balance their overall environmental impact and make better use of nite resources. The good news is that many of the cutting-edge technologies required for this vision of the future are already available. But every individual can make a contribution through the choices we make...

PROJECTS LAYING CERAMIC TILES IN THE SPOTLIGHT ULTRACOLOR PLUS It is an improved cementitious mortar for grouting with reduced water absorption and high resistance to abrasion, certied EMICODE EC1 PLUS by GEV. It is suitable for grouting of oors and walls in all types of ceramic. It allows you to obtain uniform colour, colours resistant to ultra-violet rays and atmospheric agents, and an easy-cleaning smooth, compact nished surface. It can contribute up to 4 points to obtain the LEED certication. safety and security, energy, water, healthy life, environment, and mobility. Case studies from cities...