RELEAF aims to produce controlled release bio-based fertilizers from alternative sources common in Europe, demonstrating agricultural potential and generating new circulation business models.
The European agriculture sector relies heavily on imported non-renewable fertilizers, making food production vulnerable to supply chain disruption and rising costs. At the same time, excessive use of fertilizers contributes to environmental issues such as water pollution, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions.
On the other hand, valuable nutrients are lost through the flow of organic waste such as fertilizer, sewage sludge and food waste. Although fertilization elements are abundant, these materials are often underutilized due to concerns about contaminants and treatment challenges.
Advances in Sustainable Agriculture: The Releaf Project
CBE JU-RELEAF is a project funded by European Co-Intakes Based on Circular Bio (CBE JU), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and Swiss Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Alternative sources of wastewater treatment plant sludge and food chain residues (agricultural waste, food processing waste, food scrap).
Several studies have found that fertilizers, sewage sludge, and food chain waste are the main sources of waste that can be converted to bio-based fertilizers (BBFs). Fertilizer, the largest source, has more than 70% of the nutrients needed for fertilization. Despite the success of many successful research encouraging fertilizers over the past decade, challenges remain with contaminants such as heavy metals and volatile organic compounds. These contaminants limit the compatibility of fertilizers for centralized, high-quality fertilizer production. Reaf will now focus on removing the possibility of sewage sludge and food chain waste.
The Releaf project addresses these challenges by furthering and demonstrating a range of innovative extraction technologies. These technologies focus on producing important BBF components from diverse and widely available waste streams, including sewage sludge, fish treatment waste and wastewater, mixed food waste, and agricultural food residues.
The purpose of this project is to expand the technologies and processes developed on a pre-industrial scale. To ensure the viability of the new product, the project will conduct field trials and expand its technology and processes.
5 Technology Demonters 2 Industrial Fertilizer Production Demonters 4 Field Demonstration Sites for Various European Climate and Soils
The Releaf project has the following purposes:
Optimize new technologies for extracting fertilizer ingredients from alternative sources. Uses biodegradable and safe materials as coatings for controlled release fertilizers to avoid the production of microplastics and other contaminants that can damage soil health. Use controlled release bio-based fertilizers to reduce fertilizer use and nutrient loss. Use agricultural assessments to ensure biofertilizer survival. Reduce Europe’s dependence on imported materials by establishing a local, circular, and cost-effective supply chain. Employ stakeholders to ensure industry recruitment and social acceptance.
The industry as a biolefin
There is no doubt that society is experiencing a continuous process of change in our way of thinking and living. We are increasingly aware of the impact that human activities have on the environment around us. This perception leads us to seek solutions to prevent and reduce these adverse effects, making it a priority not only for researchers but also for public institutions and businesses. In this context, paradigm changes have emerged in the cyclical production model, within the conceptual framework of all conceptual concepts, from the traditional value chains of linear economies that reward mass production of products to the cyclical production model that promotes reuse and recycling.
The increased cost of transportation and the complexity of efficiently managing large amounts of waste caused by rapid population growth has led to an increasingly abolishing central treatment of both solid waste and liquids. Alternatively, the implementation of treatment systems that allow for decentralized waste management has attracted interest from the professional public. This allows for the establishment of a local value chain through the recovery of value-added products that can be used as secondary raw materials to produce new products.
Bio-based fertilizer acquisition and marketing challenges
For the CBE Ju-Releaf project, the priority is to produce bio-based fertilizers from locally available waste (sewage sludge, agricultural waste, food processing waste, food scrap) to enhance the sustainability of the agricultural sector while closing the nutritional loop of the food chain.
To this end, techniques and treatment systems are developed to obtain ingredients for the synthesis of controlled release bio-based fertilizers. This includes the formulation of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – biostimulants – chemical and biological – bioagents – polymer-based granulated fertilizers, and thus the recovery of macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) that allow for the use of exercise fertilizers and the reduction of nutrient loss through leaching or reduction of volatilization.
Furthermore, within the framework of the project, the obtained fertilizers are tested in a field trial to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the obtained products. This improves social and consumer acceptance, and promotes market introduction of recycled products and enhances competitiveness compared to traditional mineral fertilizers from non-renewable sources.
Thus, generating bio-based fertilizers from locally available waste reduces the environmental impact of both industrial and agriculture sectors by shortening supply routes, reducing Europe’s dependence on fertilizer imports, and improving soil health.
About the Consortium
The Releaf Consortium is a joint initiative of European companies, technology developers and research institutes committed to promoting sustainable agriculture and circular economy principles through the development of bio-based fertilizers. It is important in 17 institutions of nine different European countries.
The RELEAF project (recycling locally produced biowaste to ensure the affordability and availability of innovative bio-based fertilizers) is funded by the European Commission through the Circulating Bio-Based European Joint Project (CBE JU) programme and its partners [GA: 101156998]. It also receives funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (Seri) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
This article will also be featured in the 22nd edition of Quarterly Publication.
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