Circular Economy as a New Model for the Exploitation of the Agroindustrial Biomass

This paper focuses on a new concept of waste and by-products within the agricultural system, based upon the perspective of circular economy, which directs the agrifood chain and the life style towards a "zero waste" model. This new approach can be achieved through efficient small and industrial scale of bioenergy plants, biorefineries and environmentally friendly process for the production of biomolecules to be employed as active principles in agronomy, cosmetics, foods, feeds and pharmaceutical applications. In particular, the case study of this paper concerns the exploitation of Olea, Cynara and Chestnut tissues and byproducts as new source for energy and bioactive antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds (polyphenols) (PCT/IT/2009/09425529 Olea europaea L.; PCT/IT/2008/000135 Cynara scolymus L., MI2014A000177 Chestnut), which will also be assessed in different Italian district. The regional level has been chosen for this analysis because the local approach allows to avoid and/or reduce the economic and environmental cost of the waste transport. The polyphenols market is projected to reach 1 billion dollars by 2020 and 4,790 potential source plants are present in Europe. The recovery of chemicals and the production of energy, should be a continuous process of interaction between high technology and environmental and economic sustainability, making this kind of multifunctional platform highly innovative and consistent with the principles of the circular economy