Background The ceramic tile industry, and in particular ceramic-tile finishing operations, use an extremely high volume of water. Some 72% of EU tile production is porcelain stoneware, which is typically subjected to high water-use finishing operations. Some 800 litres of water are needed to polish 1 square metre of tiling. Finishing operations also generate sludge from levigation, or the grinding of an insoluble substance into powder while wet. Wastewater makes up 30% by weight of the levigation sludge. Because ceramic tile manufacturing is concentrated in specific areas, those areas are potentially highly affected by water extraction and the requirement to deal with wastewater. In Italy, for example, 90% of tile production takes place between the towns of Modena and Reggio Emilia, which are 30 km apart. The waste levigation sludge is temporarily stored in open-air storage systems at the ceramics plants, or can be disposed of at considerable expense. At present, this waste cannot be recycled back into the ceramic tile manufacturing process, because of the chemical, physical, mineralogical and thermal incompatibility of its main components. Objectives The main objectives of the W-LAP project are to drastically reduce (more than threefold) water consumption in tile finishing, and to minimise levigation sludge production. The main specific objectives are: To demonstrate that through the controlled application of a polymer-based layer on tile surfaces it is possible to achieve the same aesthetic result that is produced by ceramic tile surface grinding and polishing, while simultaneously sealing the tiles; To obtain tile surfaces that are easier to clean and are less prone to bacterial proliferation; To reduce the quantity of water and surfactants necessary for cleaning and maintenance of tiles, during indoor and outdoor use; To save energy as the process of additive polishing will require less use of grinding and polishing wheels and discs, and there will be no requirement for final drying of the product; To demonstrate that the tools used to apply the polymer-based layer will be less subject to broken machine parts, giving an increase in productivity and a reduction in waste production; and To set up a demonstration line able to process 100 m2 of tiling per day. Expected results: Reduction of water consumed during the surface finishing of ceramic tiles; The current waste output of up to 0.6 kg of levigation sludge/m2 of finished materials per square metre of finished materials will be reduced to zero without affecting tile weight; A 25% reduction in energy consumption during manufacturing; Manufacture of a high-quality, easy-to-clean product with optimum aesthetic properties and reduced weight; No over-spraying of water or polymeric precursors; Tiles that require less ongoing cleaning, thereby reducing water and chemical use; and Reduction in the number of broken tiles during polishing.