BETWEEN SCARCITY AND CIRCULARITY OF RESOURCES: TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION FOR GRANITE SCRAP IN SARDINIA

Throughout the past two centuries, human activities have had a profound impact on Earth, leading to the progressive consumption of natural resources, increasing in waste, pollution and alteration of ecosystems. This has induced a well-known climate change phenomenon with significant consequences for humankind and ecosystems. The growth of cities and improved living conditions will lead to increased consumption of resources, many of which are already expected to run out by the middle of the next decade. It is essential to monitor resource consumption using relevant indicators to drive economic growth toward resources decoupling. Starting from an analysis of the consumption of the four major categories of natural resources, biomass, fossil fuels, non-metallic minerals and metal ores on an international scale, attention is gradually turned to consumption at the Italian level, focusing on the consumption of non-metallic minerals for use in construction. Thus, the focus was on the granite mining district of Buddusò, in Sardinia, the largest producer in Italy. Granite quarries, which have been drastically reduced in recent decades, have generated huge amounts of processing waste, causing profound changes to landscapes and ecosystems. Based on the analysis of disused quarry sites, the types of rock abandoned have been studied in detail, investigating the chemical-physical, mechanical and technological characteristics and experimenting with innovative products and alternative uses for these wastes. The results show that it is possible to use these residues as a secondary raw material for the ceramics industry, and also as an envelope for ventilated high-performance thermal insulation facades.