FER-PLAY aims to scale up the production and application of circular fertilisers across Europe by fostering collaboration between key stakeholders such as public authorities, agricultural associations, and research centres.
Under this scope FER-PLAY partner organizations ACR+ and EBA have organized various co-creation activities involving their members:
- 2 online working groups with Public Authorities organised by ACR+
- 2 online meetings and a physical event organised by EBA
In these events Public Authorities exchanged ideas, presented their concerns and priorities and were consulted for their past experience in promoting circular fertilisers in their domains. These activities gathered valuable insights from public authorities at regional and local government levels on the best ways to implement practices that could boost circular fertilizer market adoption.
Insights from the co-creation activities with local Public Authorities have resulted in several recommendations to improve circular fertiliser production and adoption. Here are some key takeaways:
- Control Pollutants at the Source. Municipal biowaste and urban wastewater are both waste streams rich in nutrients that can be valorised for nutrient recovery. However, the impurities present in these streams make their valorisation costly and, in some cases, impractical. Once contaminants enter waste streams, they are more challenging and costly to remove, which makes effective upstream control of impurities crucial. Maintaining the quality of urban wastewater and municipal bio-waste is key to creating marketable circular fertilisers.
- Strengthen the Bioeconomy Value Chains. A thriving circular fertiliser market relies on a robust bioeconomy value chain. Circular fertilisers, made from biowaste, require efficient processes from collection to production. Regional governments can support this by integrating bioeconomy strategies into their circular economy initiatives, the mapping of biowaste flows, fostering innovation in nutrient recycling technologies, and creating industrial symbiosis hubs in their regions. This alignment boosts both regional competitiveness and sustainability.
- Promote Adoption. Public authorities play a key role in advancing the use of circular fertilisers. On the one side, by sharing best practices and organizing site visits, they can build trust among farmers and demonstrate the benefits of these fertilisers. On the other side, if possible, they can modify the local regulatory framework to promote the use of circular fertiliser and lead by example through green public procurement practices for the fertilisation of municipal landscaping. Moreover, partnering with other EU regions can also accelerate the adoption of circular fertilisers, allowing access to cutting-edge technologies and collaboration opportunities.
Full report D3.3 “Recommendations for Public Administrations” is available at the FER-PLAY website under the section Resources.
