Waste Up-Cycling in EU Co-funded Projects

Abstract

The European Union in order to promote and stimulate forms of innovation aimed at the preservation of the environment and to practices of circular economy, have been significantly contributing for years to finance projects aimed at both product innovation and process innovation. The most famous systems of financing are the Life programs, the Horizon 2020 and the CIP; among these, focusing the attention on the building sector, several successful projects are oriented to enhance and reconsider scraps and waste as a secondary raw material. The chapter examines some significant projects and highlights the main trends through some interpretation keys (type of innovation implemented, main production sectors involved, types of waste most used, etc.). The knowledge deriving from this study may help to understand the new perspectives in the recycling field and what are the main innovative strategies pursued by the participating companies. The analysis carried out provides both a method of analysis and a tool for the definition of strategies for the replication and improvement of new industrial initiatives.