ReLeaf

The ReLEAF project aims to develop safe, sustainable, and competitive bio-based fertilisers by optimising innovative technologies to recover valuable nutrients and biostimulants from abundant bio-wastes. The main objectives include:

• Increasing nutrient recycling from the selected bio-waste streams by up to 70% through the optimisation and demonstration of novel technologies for fertiliser ingredient production.
• Preventing the presence of microplastics in soil through advanced bio-based, biodegradable, and biocompatible materials such as coatings for controlled-release fertilisers that are harmless to the soil microbiome.
• Reducing nutrient losses by up to 60% and nutrient inputs to the soil by up to 30% through the optimisation and pre-industrial scale production of controlled-release, growth stage targeted, and biostimulant-doped bio-based fertilisers.
• Ensuring the efficiency, effectiveness, safety, and marketability of the developed bio-based fertilisers through real environmental agronomic assessments.
• Establishing local and cost-effective circular supply chains to produce bio-based fertilisers, increasing resource efficiency and decreasing reliance on imported materials by up to 20%.
• Following a transdisciplinary, multi-actor approach with active stakeholder engagement and co-creation to ensure industrial uptake and social acceptance.
• Accelerating the transition by developing and disseminating guidelines for safe and sustainable bio-based fertilisers throughout their lifecycle.
   

The ReLEAF project aims to valorise widespread bio-waste streams across Europe to produce safe, sustainable, and efficient bio-based fertilisers. The benefits include:

• Enhanced availability of affordable and sustainable fertiliser in the EU.
• Safe, precise, applicable, and efficient bio-based fertilisers to support the transition towards a circular economy (including the fertiliser industry) and agricultural production.
• Replacement of conventional fossil and mineral fertilisers of up to 20% of EU demand for mineral-based fertilisers with bio-based alternatives, while closing nutrient cycles and creating new value chains on a regional level.
• Overall reduction in fertiliser use by 50%.
• Availability of innovative and sustainable bio-based fertiliser delivery systems (e.g., coatings) for controlled release.
• Significant contribution to the objectives of the R&I mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’.
• Social acceptance of circular bio-based solutions and products.
• Value chains involving European waste owners, fertiliser producers, and farmers as raw material suppliers, and bio-based fertilisers production as the primary destination of organic waste streams.
• Decreased carbon footprint of the agri-food sector by 30% through lower nutrient losses and overall less fertiliser use.
• Greatly improved soil literacy with more demand from citizens for sustainable agriculture practices.
• Regulations supporting products manufactured in circular processes.