Every year, significant quantities of waste and by-products containing nutrients are generated in Finland. Making more efficient use of these would reduce dependence on imported fertilisers and strengthen security of supply and food security.
According to a recent study, public policy on nutrient recycling needs to be made more consistent and targeted more effectively than before. Subsidies should be directed towards increasing both production and demand, and regulation must ensure the efficient use of nutrients and the high quality of recycled fertiliser products.
Nutrient utilisation must be improved
Waste and by-products from Finnish primary production, as well as food processing and consumption, contain a great deal of nutrients that could be utilised more effectively than at present. The annual phosphorus potential of recyclable biomass would be sufficient to cover 75 per cent of the phosphorus fertiliser requirements for crop production. It could also cover around one-third of the nitrogen fertiliser requirements. In practice, however, the recycling rate is lower. Furthermore, recycling can be made more efficient and the quality of its end products improved.
A key challenge in nutrient recycling is the uneven regional distribution of nutrients. Matching nutrient availability with demand requires improvements in their transportability and targeting.
“Processing into concentrated recycled fertiliser products is particularly important in large biogas plants,” says Sari Luostarinen, a leading expert at the Natural Resources Institute Finland.
At the same time, the high quality of recycled fertiliser products must be ensured. Both the production and use of recycled fertiliser products require investment and a rethinking of operating models. The development of the recycled fertiliser market must be supported by consistent legislation and incentives.
“Regulation must ensure that recycling is sustainable and replaces mineral fertilisers. Various forms of support can facilitate the implementation of the necessary changes,” summarises Senior Researcher Helena Valve from the Finnish Environment Institute.
The continuity and targeting of policy instruments must be improved
The ‘Policy Instruments for Developing Nutrient Recycling (OHRAKE)’ project examined the current state of policy instruments for nutrient recycling and the need for their development. It was found that strengthening the production of and demand for recycled fertiliser products simultaneously supports many key objectives relating to security of supply, the environment and sustainability. Therefore, various subsidies and regulations should also support these same objectives in a more consistent manner.
Steering through licensing and regulation must be developed in such a way that the quality of recycled fertiliser products improves and nutrients end up where they are needed. In addition, carefully tailored incentives are required, such as investment, R&D and performance-based subsidies. Demand for recycled fertiliser products can be effectively boosted by channelling support from Finland’s CAP programme towards their uptake. However, this requires bold changes to the allocation of support funds. The future outlook for sewage sludge treatment must be clarified by drawing up a national sewage sludge strategy. The quality of all recyclable materials must be improved by requiring effective source separation and the minimisation of contaminants.
The OHRAKE project was carried out in collaboration between the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Finnish Environment Institute. The project’s monitoring group included members from the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.