The 2021 General Assembly decided to widen the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform’s action (currently all aspects of phosphorus sustainability) to cover recycling of nitrogen and of other elements. The General Assembly decided to widen to recovery/ recycling/ reuse of nitrogen and of other elements, but not to engage ESPP in questions such as crop nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen losses from agriculture, nitrogen in the food chain or nitrogen and climate change.
In 2014, it was decided by the founding members of ESPP to establish a “phosphorus” platform and not a “nutrient” platform, in order to not duplicate existing initiatives on nitrogen. Thus, ESPP’s name is “Phosphorus” platform. We have seen however that ESPP’s action concerning phosphorus recycling (e.g. regulatory questions, science, recycling technologies, organic inputs, recycled fertilising products …) is often also relevant to recycling of nitrogen and/or other elements, and often engages the same network of contacts.
There is currently increasing interest in nitrogen recovery driven by pressures to “capture” N emissions (ammonia = National Emissions Ceilings Directive, N2O greenhouse gas) and (maybe temporarily) by natural gas price and supply issues.
The ESPP Board has discussed how to take forward the General Assembly decision to widen of ESPP’s activities to cover recycling of nitrogen and other elements, and proposes to make small changes to ESPP’s statutes to modify the association’s objective of “phosphorus sustainability in Europe” to add “and recycling of other nutrients”.
The Board has decided to launch an ESPP ‘Working Group on Recycling of Nitrogen and Other Elements’ to meet 2-3 times per year to discuss how to take forward ESPP action: defining priorities, partner organisations, resources. If you are interested to participate contact info@phosphorusplatform.eu
