CiNURGi publishes policy recommendations to accelerate nutrient recycling in the Baltic Sea Region

Nutrient recycling offers an opportunity to reduce dependence on imported mineral fertilisers, make better use of valuable resources in organic waste and side streams, and support more sustainable agriculture. Yet, despite the availability of technologies for recovering nutrients, several barriers continue to hinder the wider uptake of recycled nutrient fertilisers.

The CiNURGi project has addressed these challenges by examining nutrient recycling across the Baltic Sea Region, from the availability of nutrient-rich biomass and the performance of recycled fertiliser products to market development, investment opportunities and the policy frameworks shaping the sector. The project’s policy recommendations bring these findings together and identify measures that could help accelerate nutrient recycling across the region.

The recommendations are now available in an accessible summary, providing policymakers, businesses and other stakeholders with a practical overview of the actions needed to advance circular nutrient management.

Six objectives for a circular nutrient economy

CiNURGi has developed 27 policy recommendations organised around six overarching objectives. These correspond to the objectives of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy and address the interconnected challenges of environmental protection, product safety, market development and policy coherence. The recommendations support the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Regional Nutrient Recycling Strategy, which aims to promote nutrient recycling and contribute to reducing nutrient losses to the Baltic Sea. They also contribute to the objectives of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, particularly its actions on increasing the use of recycled nutrients in agriculture, developing safety requirements for recycled fertiliser products, strengthening knowledge and advisory services, and improving market conditions for recycled fertilisers.

1. Establishing the Baltic Sea Region as a model area for nutrient recycling
   The Baltic Sea Region has the potential to demonstrate how nutrients can be recovered and reused more effectively through cooperation between countries, sectors and regions. Achieving this requires a better understanding of nutrient flows, the availability of recyclable biomass and the opportunities to return nutrients to agricultural production. Sharing knowledge and successful practices across borders can help regions develop solutions suited to their own resources and needs, while contributing to common regional objectives.
2. Reducing environmental impacts
   Nutrient recycling must deliver genuine environmental benefits. Recovering nutrients from organic waste is not sufficient if the process results in substantial nutrient losses or other negative environmental impacts. CiNURGi’s work highlights the importance of evaluating recycling solutions according to their overall environmental and societal performance. Policy measures should encourage approaches that retain valuable nutrients, reduce emissions and minimise environmental harm throughout the value chain.
3. Ensuring safe nutrient recycling
   Safety and quality are essential for building trust in recycled nutrient fertilisers and supporting their wider use in agriculture.
   Clear requirements, reliable quality assurance and appropriate monitoring can help ensure that recycled products meet agricultural needs without introducing harmful substances into soils or the environment. Greater clarity and consistency in product requirements can also help businesses develop solutions and bring them to market.
4. Strengthening knowledge exchange and awareness
   The transition to circular nutrient management requires cooperation between researchers, farmers, businesses, public authorities and other stakeholders. Research findings and practical experience need to reach those who develop, produce, regulate and use recycled nutrient products. Knowledge exchange, education and agricultural advisory services can help improve understanding of product characteristics, agronomic performance and safe use.
5. Creating business opportunities
   A functioning market is essential if nutrient recycling is to move beyond individual projects and pilot solutions. CiNURGi has examined the economic and market conditions affecting recycled nutrient fertilisers, including production costs, farmers’ preferences, regulatory barriers and investment needs. Its work demonstrates that the availability of technology alone does not guarantee commercial uptake. Policy instruments and incentives can help address market barriers, support investments and improve the competitiveness of recycled nutrient products. Measures should also recognise the environmental and societal value created by nutrient recovery.
6. Improving policy coherence
   Nutrient recycling is influenced by several policy areas, including agriculture, waste management, environmental protection, fertilising products and the circular economy. When rules and objectives are fragmented, they can create uncertainty and make it more difficult to recover nutrients from organic side streams. Better alignment between policy frameworks can support safe nutrient recovery, facilitate the development of markets and provide businesses with clearer conditions for investment. The recommendations therefore emphasise the importance of coordinated action across policy areas and levels of governance.

Connecting regional experience with European policy

The project’s policy work has extended beyond the regional level. In 2026, CiNURGi also contributed to discussions on the European Commission’s proposed Circular Economy Act through the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform. The project highlighted policy priorities including common terminology, improvements to waste legislation and incentives that recognise environmental performance. These connections demonstrate how experience gained through regional cooperation can inform policy discussions at European level and help ensure that nutrient recycling receives attention across relevant policy frameworks. The publication of the recommendations marks an important milestone in CiNURGi’s work. Developed through research, practical experiments, market assessments and stakeholder dialogue, they translate the project’s findings into proposals for policymakers and other actors working to advance nutrient recycling.

As CiNURGi concludes its work, the recommendations provide a resource for continuing this discussion beyond the project period.

Explore the recommendations through the links below

Programme Manual Online

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