There is currently a ferment (deliberate pun) of activity around the safe utilisation of and creation of value added products from organic wastes, in regulations from the UK and across Europe. In one of its many valuable contributions to this area, the European Sustainable Phosphorus platform (ESPP) has put out a document on the need for adequate definitions of ‘bio-based’ and ‘recycled’ in fertilising products, based on extensive stakeholder consultation and discussions.
The document makes they key points that
- The terms ‘bio-based’ and ‘recycled’ should be defined concurrently and in the same place
- The definitions must cover ‘fertilisers’, ‘fertilising products’ and ‘nutrients’
- There should be appropriate, official, structured consultation before adopting such definitions.
- The definitions should not be applicable only to CE-Mark products.
It goes on to provide draft definitions for discussion: as ESPP says, these may be complex and challenging to formulate but the examples clearly demonstrate that it is still feasible. The definitions are proposed as possible amendments to the EU’s Fertilising Product Regulations, with each point accompanied by explanation and justification. The material is deliberately presented in a format to encourage separate examination and discussion by experts and interested parties.
Dr Yue Zhang, co-Lead of EBNet’s Anaerobic Fermentation WG, said “EPSS is absolutely correct to identify this as a key issue. Development of clear definitions is essential to give companies the confidence to proceed, and will be a big step toward enabling the implementation of more sustainable nutrient recovery technologies”.
For more excellent outputs on this and related areas, see ESPP’s Regulatory Activities webpage.
