Asbestos is a health hazard and its removal a priority for pollution prevention. Asbestos containing wastes (ACW) can be transformed into inert silicate phases by means of microwave irradiation. The aim of this investigation was to recycle microwave inertised ACW in mullite-cordierite refractory materials. A MgO-rich talc was replaced by inertised asbestos keeping approximately equal oxide composition of the raw materials. No significant variations of water absorption, linear shrinkage and Young's modulus but a higher occurrence of cordierite phase with the change of raw material was found. This can be considered an important technological result. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.