ALL YOU CAN’T EAT: research and experiences from agri-food waste to new building products in a circular economy perspective

In a Circular Economy context, agri-food can play an important role, since the majority of waste consists of residues potentially usable as secondary raw materi-als in several industrial processes, including the building sector. This chapter deals with some outcomes achieved in research projects carried out by TeAM (Tecnologia & Ambiente) of Politecnico di Torino in partnership with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In particular, it describes a cluster of research projects entitled ALL YOU CAN'T EAT, focusing on the recycling of ag-ricultural residues and food waste: both are used for developing new products for the construction industry and for promoting the transition from "waste" to "re-source". The paper highlights some open issues that must be considered when moving from experimentation to industrial production and symbiosis, such as: is the amount of waste sufficient to be put into a new production cycle and to ensure the continuity of the supply chain (and its economic sustainability)? Does a cir-cular product really have a lower environmental impact than linear alternatives?