Bivalve Mollusks Shells Valorisation and Recycling: Market Potentiality and Novel Building Products

Abstract

Construction is a fundamental driver of the world economy, recognized as a sector that generates a great contribution to the social and economic development. At the same time, it shows an enormous environmental impact through an unstoppable consumption of non-renewable resources, a high energy consumption, and an associated atmospheric emission of pollutant. Consequently, the research and development of novel and green production processes and sustainable building materials is of paramount importance. The sustainability of materials and production processes could be improved by enhancing and reusing wastes from various industrial sectors. In this paper, the fishery sector will be analysed, considering its derived wastes as secondary raw materials with interesting drawbacks into the construction sector. The fish sector, in the broadest sense (breeding, production, manufacturing, catering, etc.), generates a large number of wastes that could generate a significant environmental impact and a rather high disposal costs, both in economic and environmental terms. This paper will analyse the most traded shellfish market, focusing on mussels, clams, and oysters, examining their production processes and estimating the possible amount of available waste. Finally, on the basis of scientific literature and commercial info graphics, the construction products currently available on the market and under development will be discussed.