For three days in January 2018, the German Phosphorus Platform (DPP) visited Italy to advise the country on setting up an organization for sustainable phosphorus management and phosphorus recycling, including meetings and events with parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, scientists and citizens. The highlight was a conference in the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome, the Camera, to which also several hundred people participated online. Italian Member of Parliament Alberto Zolezzi stated: "In Italy, environmental protection has not played a big role for too long. We now want to do our utmost to not only make a meaningful contribution to environmental protection with this platform, but above all to convince the Italian population of the importance of a more sustainable use of resources. From phosphorus recovery alone in Italy, we can save 100 million euros a year through improved water treatment, not to mention environmental damage (especially the emergence of alien species) and health care”. Daniel Frank, director of DPP, underlined that both the German and European phosphorus platform are ready to provide experience and to cooperate with the project in Italy. The Italian Parliament has agreed to support the initiative with € 100,000 in 2018.
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) with the North America Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance (SPA) are calling for study proposals (budget 50 000 US$) to identify and analyse phosphorus and nitrogen flow data aggregated for US and Canada wastewater treatment plants (wwtps), with the objective of establishing a mass balance for current levels of phosphorus and nitrogen flows and of recycling/reuse. The report aims to support WEF’s strategic objective to “Collaborate with water sector partners to define and create a bold, aspirational, and public call to action to accelerate resource recovery”. Data should cover influent flows to wwtps, co-digestion of other organics, wwtp effluent discharge, water reuse for irrigation, land use of biosolids, recovered phosphates, recovered energy and energy used.
“Preparation of Baseline Data to Establish the Current Amount of Resource Recovery at Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs)”, letter proposal submission deadline 28th February 2018 (5 PM EDT).
Website www.wef.org and email
Several consultations and challenges related to nutrient recycling and stewardship are now open for your input!
See our ESPP eNews 19 newsletter on top: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews19
1. STRUBIAS market report open for consultation
2. Standards needs for the circular economy
3. EU public consultation on pharmaceuticals
4. Livestock nutrient flows and impact assessments consultation
5. Call for data on manure processing
6. Apply for the Baltic Sea nutrients and carbon reuse challenge
7. Survey on sustainable development in the livestock sector
ESPP has now an active Linkedin group on phosphorus/nutrient recycling and stewardship. Please subscribe and get interesting updates and discussions!
Use this direct link (if it works): www.linkedin.com/groups/4783093
Or otherwise search for "ESPP" or "European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform" at Linkedin.
Feel welcome to start a discussion or respond to another existing one!
Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP).
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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews019
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The European Council (Member States) adopted its position on the Fertilisers Regulation proposal on 20th December. This is not yet published, but has been seen by some stakeholders. Media coverage indicates that Council’s position is to delay the proposed 60 mg/kgPO3 cadmium limit by eight years, then subject any possible reduction to evaluation. The position indirectly recognises the possibility of “Low carbon fertiliser” by specifying pathogen limits for inorganic fertilisers >1% organic carbon. Council proposals on animal by products however pose problems (“Whereas” n°s 10 and 12), as do proposals on digestates and composts (CMC3, CMC5) by requesting prior sanitation for input of animal by products (in particular manure): so effectively requiring ‘double sanitation’. The proposed Regulation now goes to the trilogue process where Parliament and Council negotiate (with support of Commission) to hopefully find a jointly acceptable text, with discussion usually addressing only points included in the amendments of either Council or Parliament.
Initially proposed EU Fertilisers Regulation text: http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/15949
EU Parliament amendments: www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2017-0392
Council amendments (not yet published) see http://eur-lex.europa.eu/procedure/EN/2016_84
Council press release www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/12/20/eu-fertilisers-council-agrees-terms-of-mandate
Cross-sector industry joint statement www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/download/Joint-statement-industry-Fert-Regs-finalised-20_11_17.pdf
Conference Symbiosis and Circular Economy in fertilizers Are by-products a thing of the past? Unlocking the new fertilizer Regulation
7 March 2018 (10h-16h), Brussels, Belgium - Flyer - Email - Registration
Organized by Fertilizers Europe.
Every year, millions of tons of valuable by-products are used by industry as raw materials for making high quality finished mineral fertilizers. This one-day event will bring together industry experts, EU legislators and national authorities for presentations of case studies on practical uses of by-products. The participants will have the opportunity for a creative exchange-of-views on different ways to improve the EU Fertilisers Regulation and to ensure a continuation of good circular practices and economy.
The morning session will highlight viewpoints from professionals working in industrial production and will present practical examples of symbiosis within different fertiliser industry sectors. The afternoon will feature EU decision makers in this area, and will include a panel debate which will aim to find a solution within the political spectrum on the use of byproducts and industrial symbiosis.
Registration at this link
Nearly 100 stakeholders from organic farming organisations, organic and mineral fertiliser companies, compost producers, research and regulators discussed the possible use of recycled nutrient and recycled organic carbon products in organic agriculture. The meeting was co-organised by ESPP (European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform) and IFOAM EU (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements – EU Group).
All outcomes including report, programme and presentations can be found here.
SAVE THE DATE
3rd European Nutrient Event at ECOMONDO, 8-9 November, Rimini, Italy
Nutrient recycling and management in Italy, the Mediterranean region and in EU research, development and innovation
More information will follow soon:
www.smart-plant.eu/ENE3
More information about ECOMONDO: https://en.ecomondo.com
ESPP is looking to recruit a (part-time) representative in Brussels, to second the current secretariat, to improve networking and represent the Platform in Brussels and to develop Platform membership, funded activities and communications, especially with business and companies.
Job description online here and further information contact
The European Commission (JRC) circulated on 20th December 2017, for comment, a DRAFT “market study” (165 pages) for the ‘STRUBIAS’ recycled nutrient products (precipitated phosphate salts, ashes and processed ash products, biochars and pyrolysis products). This document provides the economic and market assessment necessary to justify future addition of these products to the (revised) EU Fertilisers Regulation annexes (as additional CMCs). This is the second part of JRC’s ‘STRUBIAS’ draft report, in complement to a first technical report (“draft recovery rules”, circulated May 2017).
The JRC draft “market study” assesses the possible sources of raw materials for nutrient recycling, STRUBIAS technologies and economic aspects (fertiliser prices, market for STRUBIAS products, economic externalities). Conclusions are that STRUBIAS recycled nutrient products could potentially substitute 25-40% of EU mineral phosphate fertiliser use. Meta-analyses conclude that struvite offers very good fertiliser effectiveness (as good as or better than mineral fertiliser) but that calcium phosphates are less effectives (total 26 studies for phosphate salts), that most ashes/ash based products are reasonable effective fertilisers (17 studies) except for steel slag based materials and non-processed sewage sludge incineration ash, and that data on biochars is inadequate.
JRC requests both detailed comments on the report text (corrections or additional information, line by line) and answers to the following questions. All input should be supported by references to publications or to provided documents:
The JRC draft STRUBIAS “market study” open for comment and the detail of JRC’s questions are available on ESPP’s website: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory (also the May 2017 JRC “draft recovery rules” report and ESPP’s detailed submitted comments 14/9/17). Comments to the draft “market study” are requested by JRC for 15th March 2018. However, comments are not accepted directly by JRC and must be transmitted via a member of the STRUBIAS working group (which includes: ESPP, DPP and several ESPP members). Please therefore transmit your comments to by 28th February latest. For all comments please specify either page number and line number of document, or number of question addressed, and provide justification (references, documents).
Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP).
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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews018
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ESPP will present and chair during the 6th Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry Conference, 16-17 January, Berlin (ENG European Networking Group). The conference focusses on the sustainable value chain for food production and consumption. ESPP will address phosphorus, from the field to diet, integrating nutrient stewardship and recycling into food production sustainability criteria. Conference speakers include CEOs and sustainability directors from leading food companies, supermarkets and restaurants, as well as the FAO and the European Commission.
The 3rd ManuREsource manure recycling conference brought together 230 participants in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 27-28 November. This third conference, four years after the first ManuREsource in 2013, confirmed that a range of technologies are today available and proven for manure processing to enable energy recovery and nutrient recycling (see Newtrient catalogue and company success stories below), that the EU regulatory context is evolving considerably, and that the main obstacle to implementation continues to be economic.?
Outcomes of the ManuREsource conference 2017 can be found in our ESPP eNews newsletter no 18.
Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP).
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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews017
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For the first time ever, a Joint Statement (14 organisations) has been established and signed by key industry federations and stakeholders concerned by the full range of soil improving products, growing media, organic and mineral fertilisers, biostimulants and nutrient recycling. This initiative is co-lead by ESPP (European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform). The Joint Statement underlines that the EU Fertilisers Regulation is strongly awaited by industry and stakeholders to develop the circular economy, and indicates nineteen issues which need to be resolved in the finalisation of the text in “trialogue” (European Parliament, Council and Commission) over the coming months. This follows the vote of the Parliament’s position 24/10/2017 with adoption of the Council position expected soon. The Joint Statement aims to positively contribute to finalisation of the Fertilisers Regulation, to improve dialogue and to “achieve a final regulatory text which is workable in implementation, which will facilitate innovation and development of the nutrient circular economy and nutrient stewardship, whilst ensuring the protection of farmers, consumers and the environment.”
Cross-industry and stakeholder Joint Position http://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/images/download/Joint-statement-industry-Fert-Regs-finalised-20_11_17.pdf
European Parliament plenary voted report (amendments submitted to trialogue) www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2017-0392Initial Commission proposed Regulation text http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/15949
The European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) organized a Footprint Family workshop, 14-16 November 2017, Ispra (Italy), bringing together specialists from JRC and 11 invited international external experts on footprints. Footprints covered were the ecological, carbon, land, water, nitrogen, phosphorus, energy, material and biodiversity footprints. ESPP joined as expert and brought in knowledge and ideas from the phosphorus footprint perspective. The workshop aimed at creating an internationally recognized scientific panel to discuss synergies and conceptual differences between the different footprints and methods/data used, and to set the basis for footprints related to food production and consumption in the EU. Footprints are analysis and communication tools to assess the impact is of a person, product, company, sector, country in terms of resource use (depletion) and environmental pressure (pollution). The experts concluded that a combination of footprints (footprint family) would provide additional value for researchers, consumers and policymakers to work on sustainable production, consumption and waste management, with a clear link to environmental EU directives and the new UN Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore it became clear that whereas for example the ecological, land, carbon and water footprint are well developed, for phosphorus and nitrogen there is a strong need for further development, in particular to take into account the virtual phosphorus consumption by imported products. Input on phosphorus and nitrogen footprints and their further development can be sent to
Outcomes of the finished EU research project One Planet Economy Network (OPEN) that focussed on the challenges Footprint Family as well www.oneplaneteconomynetwork.org
Running Our Phosphorus Future research project will cover the phosphorus footprint http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/projects?ref=NE%2FP008798%2F1
See nitrogen footprint work in the Our Nutrient World report, prepared by the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM) in collaboration with the International Nitrogen Initiative http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/500700/1/N500700BK.pdf
“Nitrogen footprints: past, present and future” Galloway et al. 2014, IOPScience http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/9/11/115003
Website Global Footprint Network www.footprintnetwork.org
A report for the Netherlands Government assesses possibilities for recovery of nutrients (other than phosphorus and nitrogen) from waste streams. Based on criticality of mineral resources and importance for agriculture, priorities are identified as: boron, cobalt, copper, potassium, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. Waste streams considered include sewage, industrial wastes, municipal solid waste, animal by products, coal ashes and other ashes. The report recommends further research into agricultural use of sewage biosolids (after e.g. composting) but notes the need to address possible risks of organic contaminants. The following recovery routes are identified as having potential: bioleaching and phytoremediation (plant uptake of metals), polymer assisted ultrafiltration (PAUF), fly ash wasting / metal separation (FLUWA) and the Ecophos process (recovery of other nutrients in the residue after phosphorus recovery). Particular potential is noted for zinc and potassium from sewage sludge, Ecophos residues and municipal waste incineration bottom and fly ash (MWIP); copper from MWIP; boron, cobalt and selenium from coal ashes.
“Possibilities and opportunities for recovery of nutrients other than phosphorus. An exploratory research”, by Tauw for the Netherlands Ministry for Infrastructure and the Environment, 29 September 2017, project n° 1244882 www.nutrientplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Possibilities-and-opportunities-for-recovery-of-nutrients-other-than-phosphorus-R001-1244882KJU-wga-V01-NL.pdf
Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP).
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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews016
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The new edition number 125 of the SCOPE newsletter is now online here: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SCOPE125
Earlier edition can be found here: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/SCOPEnewsletter
To subscribe: www.phosphorusplatform.eu/subscribe
ESPP is facilitating at ManuREsource conference (Eindhoven, NL, 27-28 November) a Round Table on the EU Nitrates Directive and manure “in a processed form".
Steve Rowe of Newtrient (see ESPP’s SCOPE Newsletter n°125) will present at ManuREsource the US dairy industry (see www.newtrient.com/Catalog/Technology-Catalog ). ESPP is facilitating at ManuREsource conference (Eindhoven, NL, 27-28 November) one-to-one meetings to take forward extension of this catalogue to Europe, evaluation of further treatment technologies. For this, please register for the Conference then use the ManuREsource “matchmaking” page.
ESPP - IFOAM European stakeholder meeting on Acceptance and value of recycled fertilisers in organic farming, 12th December – Brussels.
Registration: www.eventbrite.ca/e/recycled-nutrients-and-organic-food-tickets-38702699817?aff=es2
Orgnaised in collaboration with IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.
All day meeting 12th December 2017, 9h00 - 17h30 followed by neworking drinks.
The meeting will discuss:
- need for phosphorus inputs to organic farming
- ecological coherence of using recycling nutrient sources in organic agriculture
- acceptability of different secondary materials and recycled products for the organic farming movement, organic food distributors and consumers.
Proposals for speakers, input or invitees are welcome.
Posters are invited: please indicate title of your poster in your registration.
Please note that you will receive programme and venue details, later nearer the event date, directly from ESPP, not with the EventBrite registration confirmation.
Newsletter about nutrient stewardship - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP).
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Link to www.phosphorusplatform.eu/eNews015
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ESPP has responded to the European Commission public consultation on policy options to reduce microplastics release to the environment (consultation open to 16th October 2017). ESPP notes that although current concern is principally about microplastics in surface waters and oceans, some microplastics will also be found in organic recycling streams such as sewage biosolids or compost or digestate from food waste. Possible impacts on terrestrial ecology should therefore be studied in order to avoid future obstacles to the nutrient Circular Economy. ESPP suggests to collect data on microplastics in organic recycling streams, develop monitoring methods for microplastics in organic streams and in soils, study their fate and possible impacts in soil/crop systems, investigate possibilities for removing microplastics in organic waste treatment and recycling processes, and develop risk assessments of microplastics in nutrient recycling, in particular to support the EU Fertiliser Regulation.
EU public consultation on microplastics www.eumicroplastics.com open to 16th October 2017. ESPP input here and at www.phosphorusplatform.eu/regulatory