Waste2Feed - Resource recovery from bio-waste as high-efficiency fertilizers for food production

人口和人均能源和动物产品消费量的增加将加剧养分流失和资源枯竭、污染程度和土地退化，进一步威胁我们的水、空气和土壤质量，影响气候和生物多样性。需要开展新的战略研究，以减少所有部门的养分流失，提高养分利用效率，从而为绿色和循环经济奠定基础，在减少环境污染的同时生产更多的粮食和能源。该项目旨在提供从生物废物中回收养分和能源的可持续战略，使回收的养分产品在经济上有价值，作为粮食生产中化学矿物肥料的绿色替代品。为此，将执行三个互补的研究工作包（WP），从而涵盖整体营养价值链：1）生物基肥料生产，2）优化过程建模，3）最终产品配方和评估。在WP1中，将实施最成熟的养分回收技术的试验装置和处理列车，以便从（消化）生物废物中生产原料肥料产品。在WP2中，将为营养物回收系统开发新的工艺模型，特别是膜 过滤从优化的角度出发，建立了产品质量特性（纯度、粒度、肥料释放率）的预测模型。将设计和测试适应的模型校准和验证方法。最后，在WP3中，将对生产的肥料的质量进行评估，并根据现行法规将其升级为农业使用可接受的成分。将在农业田间试验中评估配制的最终产品的营养利用效率和环境影响。因此，拟议的项目进一步发展了最大限度地封闭养分循环（=废物到饲料）的概念。这将为可持续和更多的生物经济增长开辟新的机会，从而为加拿大及其他地区的环境、社会和经济创造一个双赢的局面。

Increases in population and per capita consumption of energy and animal products will exacerbate nutrient losses and resource depletion, pollution levels and land degradation, further threatening the quality of our water, air and soils, affecting climate and biodiversity. A new strategic research effort is needed to reduce nutrient losses and improve nutrient use efficiency across all sectors, thereby creating the foundation for a green and circular economy that produces more food and energy while reducing environmental pollution. This project aims to provide sustainable strategies for nutrient and energy recovery from bio-waste with economic valorization of the recovered nutrient products as green substitutes for chemical fossil-based fertilizers in food production. To this end, three complementary research work packages (WP) will be executed, thereby covering holistic nutrient valorization chains: 1) Bio-based fertilizer production, 2) Process modelling for optimization, and 3) End-product formulation and evaluation. In WP1, pilot units and treatment trains of the most established nutrient recovery technologies will be implemented in order to produce raw fertilizer products from (digested) bio-waste. In WP2, new process models will be developed for nutrient recovery systems, in particular for membrane filtration. In view of optimization, predictive models will be developed for product quality characteristics as purity, particle size, fertilizer release rates. Adapted model calibration and validation methods will be devised and tested. Finally, in WP3, the quality of the produced fertilizers will be evaluated and upgraded to compositions acceptable for agricultural use according to current regulation. Nutrient use efficiencies and environmental impact of the formulated end-products will be assessed in agricultural field trials. As such, the proposed project further develops the concepts of maximally closing nutrient cycles (= waste to feed). This will open up new opportunities for sustainable and more bio-based economic growth and thus create a win-win-win situation for the environment, the society and the economy in Canada, and beyond.