There is no waste in nature. Everything that is produced has a purpose and everything that becomes
waste can be transformed into a new resource, triggering a virtuous circuit that feeds itself. The
circular economy of waste means a system in which the production-consumption-disposal process is
overcome to replace it with a circular model, where the final waste product is re-introduced into the
circulation as a secondary raw material. The logic to follow is that after consumption and before any
disposal, it is necessary to activate virtuous processes such as reduce, reuse and recycling. This work
focuses on the possible uses of a vegetable waste matrix, such as olive leaves.
The olive tree (Olea europaea) is a fruit tree, cultivated for more than 3,500 years for its fruits and
edible oil. However, just like oil, olive leaf contains a high amount of polyphenols, in particular
oleuropein, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants known and hydroxytyrosol, which also has
powerful antiseptic properties. Therefore, olive leaf extracts, thanks to the presence of oleuropein
associated with hydroxytyrosol, represent a powerful natural antioxidant, a valid ally of the
cardiovascular system. In addition, olive leaves are an excellent regulator of the digestive system:
they regulate intestinal transit and above all eliminate fungi and other unwanted parasites from our
body. Starting from these premises, in this work, a green extraction technique such as rapid solid
liquid dynamic extraction (RSLDE) is compared with conventional maceration to obtain an olive leaf
extract rich in antioxidants to be used in various sectors