During the week of 16-20 June 2025, the BOOST-IN Partners from KWB hosted the co-creation workshop in Germany. The workshop highlighted significant and growing demand from the organic farming sector for struvite, a high-quality fertiliser recovered from wastewater.
The event, held at the impressive full-scale nutrient recovery plant of Abwasserverband Braunschweig, brought together key stakeholders to bridge the gap between sustainable resource management and agricultural needs.
The workshop confirmed that the quality and fertilising efficiency of recovered struvite meet the high standards of organic farmers. Participants from the agricultural sector expressed strong interest in adopting struvite as a sustainable alternative to conventional phosphorus sources, signalling a major opportunity for the circular economy in Germany’s ‘Region of Opportunity.’
The event, hosted by Abwasserverband Braunschweig, provided a first-hand look at how innovative wastewater treatment processes can produce a market-ready agricultural product. Their state-of-the-art facility demonstrates how municipalities can meet and exceed the high phosphorus recovery rates mandated by Germany’s Sewage Sludge Ordinance (AbfKlärV, 2017).
While the demand is clear, the workshop also identified two critical hurdles to widespread adoption:
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Simplifying Certification: Stakeholders called for a more streamlined and accessible certification process for recovered products like struvite to be officially used in organic farming.
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Enhancing Knowledge Exchange: A need was identified for greater knowledge sharing to demonstrate how innovative recovery processes can reliably meet regulatory requirements.
BOOST-IN is committed to addressing these challenges by continuing to foster dialogue and collaborative projects. The insights from this workshop will directly inform the next steps in creating a sustainable, circular model for nutrient management in the region.
