P2GreeN aims to foster a paradigm shift, from a linear phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) nutrient system within the agri-food supply chain, to a circular nutrient flow between urban and rural areas.
Vast amounts of nutrient-rich wastewater disappears daily into the sewers of large cities, while at the same time agriculture struggles to produce sufficient crop yields using conventional fertilisers to feed the growing world population. To address this issue, P2GreeN will explore and implement innovative N and P recovery solutions for the utilisation of human sanitary waste from urban settlements to produce safe bio-based fertilisers for agricultural production. Solutions will be trialed in three pilot regions on a north-south trajectory from the Baltic Sea region, to the metropolitan area of Hamburg-Hannover and finally the region of Axarquia in Southern Spain. Four follower regions will demonstrate replication in Hungary, Italy, France and Greece.
TheP2GreeN pilot regions will provide an operational environment to develop, adapt and demonstrate innovative circular nutrient systems and thus create innovative governance solutions at the water-agri-food nexus. Amongst its outputs, the project will enable policy makers to replicate P2GreeN’s
sustainable regional circular economy models in all regional settings across Europe.