Recovered Nutrient Materials: Qualification and Agronomic Acceptance

Recovered nutrient materials face uncertainty over waste classification, product qualification and the costs of reaching an intended market. D7.3 identifies these barriers for reclaimed water, biochar, nutrient products and bioplastics and calls for clearer conformity routes covering standards, testing protocols and labelling.

For the Marche pilot, the policy brief proposes agronomic guidance on application rates and testing, together with clearer certification pathways for materials produced through sludge or digestate pyrolysis. These are project policy recommendations for improving the enabling framework. Technical testing and certification remain part of the proposed pathway.

The brief also recommends use-case-based waste-to-resource classification pathways with health and safety checks. National guidance is intended to align with European requirements and reduce fragmented interpretation across regions.