Circular economy
5 Things You Should Know About Biogas and Biomethane
This article from the European Commission outlines five key facts about biogas and biomethane that help dispel common myths. It explains how biogas is produced from organic waste like manure and food residues, and how its by-product digestate can be used as a nutrient-rich fertiliser for soils. The piece highlights the role of biogas/biomethane in climate action and energy security, the nutrient benefits of digestate, and how renewable gases support Europe’s energy transition.
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Digestate as a Driver of the Agroecological Transition in Europe
This article from the European Biogas Association highlights how digestate — the organic residue from biogas plants — can help transform European agriculture. It describes digestate’s potential as an organic fertiliser that can reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers, improve soil fertility, and increase carbon storage in agricultural soils. The piece emphasizes the importance of nutrient recycling and how digestate fits into Europe’s wider goals for sustainable agriculture and climate action.
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The Impact of Anaerobic Digestate on Soil Life: A Review
Organic fertilisers like anaerobic digestate—the nutrient-rich slurry left after biogas production—can help make farming more sustainable. Soil organisms play a key role in turning these nutrients into forms plants can use. Digestate affects this soil life in different ways depending on its carbon content: low-carbon digestate has little impact, while high-carbon digestate boosts microbial abundance and diversity. Easily degradable carbon promotes fast-growing bacteria, whereas more resistant carbon favours fungi and Gram-positive bacteria. However, surface-dwelling soil animals such as earthworms, nematodes, and springtails may be harmed when digestate contains high levels of ammonia. More research is needed on how repeated digestate use affects soil life and long-term soil health.
The-Impact-of-Anaerobic-Digestate-on-Soil-Life-A-Review.pdfCould treated biowastes be a sustainable solution to the worldwide need for phosphorous fertiliser?
Phosphorus (P) is a critical raw material in Europe due to rock phosphate reserves being finite, depleted, and in geographical regions which may limit accessibility. Recently, the war in Ukraine has exacerbated the P shortage, because of the decline in Russia’s phosphate production and limited exports due to sanctions, causing rock mineral fertiliser prices to increase significantly.
As phosphorus is a critical element, and rock phosphate reserves are not a long-term sustainable solution, research into maximising the efficacy of alternatives – such as biowaste materials – is a priority. Biomaterial waste including sewage sludge (SS), sewage sludge ash (SAS), biogas digestate solid fraction (BGF) and meat/bone meal (MBM) from the meat industry, could all potentially be used as P fertiliser. However, the P solubility and release to the soil from these sources varies greatly, and is often lower than that of mineral P fertilisers derived from rock phosphate.
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European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform
A joint initiative by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform brings together stakeholders active in the broad field of the circular economy in Europe.
https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/enEuropean Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP)
The European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP) brings together industry, researchers, policymakers, and NGOs to advance sustainable phosphorus management through knowledge sharing, policy support, and innovation across the entire value chain. It promotes cooperation, circular economy solutions, and long-term strategies to ensure responsible phosphorus use and recovery in Europe.
https://www.phosphorusplatform.eu/platform/about-esppZero Waste Europe
Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) is the European network of communities, local leaders, experts, and change agents working towards a better use of resources and the elimination of waste in our society. We advocate for sustainable systems; for the redesign of our relationship with resources; and for a global shift towards environmental justice, accelerating a just transition towards zero waste for the benefit of people and the planet.
https://zerowasteeurope.eu/