Biofore Magazine 2022

By Sini-Maria Melanen Photography UPM, Getty Images

FEATURE

45

Industrial side stream fertilisers enable a circular ecosystem for mills and agriculture.

S ince the war in Ukraine broke out and its crop exports were halted, the agriculture industry has suffered heavy blows. In 2020, Russia was the world’s largest fertiliser exporter, which is one reason why a significant portion of the global food supply is under threat. After sanctions disrupted the supply to Europe and the US, a dire need to find new solutions to end the fertiliser shortage emerged. The forest industry is offering alternative ways to tackle the chal lenge. Some of UPM’s side streams are already being utilised as liming agents, soil improvement materials or fertilisers, plus there is a 2030 target to only use recycled nutrients in its own effluent treatment plants. Along with not competing for scarce virgin-based nutrients that could be used for fertilisers, the approach also reduces the overall nutrient load on waterways and the need for the energy-intensive production of nitrogen and the use of phosphorus, which is a depleting natural resource. In 2022, the Finnish national Fertiliser Product Act was updat ed and the three-year transition period of the EU regulation on fer tilising products ended in July of the same year. The EU regulation opened the Single Market to organic and side stream-based fer tilisers, making the production and selling of such fertilisers eas ier inside the bloc. According to the EU Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, organic waste material fertilisers could replace almost a third of mined fertilisers.

EU regulation opens doors “For the first time, side streams will be included in the EU regulation and the production of fertilisers derived from organic materials will especially become easier,” says Titta Berlin , Ministerial Adviser at the FinnishMinistry of Agriculture and Forestry. Side streams have long been part of the national act but, according to Berlin, the structure was outdated and hindering innovation – now the law complies with EU regulations. “Before, new ingredients were strictly categorised by specific usage. Now, creating products and mixing different ingredients is more flexible,” Berlin explains. “However, keeping the level of toxic contaminants in check will remain constant.” The legislation came at a convenient time, as Europe aims to reduce its dependency on imported fertilisers. But what are the actual possibilities of recycled nutrients? In Finland, the production of recycled fertilisers has been a local business and it has never been particularly lucrative. But current world events might change that. Locality and overall sustainability So what is hindering the industry from tapping into the potential of re cycled fertilisers? AaronVuola ,Manager of theCircular Economy and Environment at the Finnish Forest Industries Federation, says: “Using side streams in the production of fertilisers is highly regulated, and rightfully so. Forest industry side streams are not that high in nutrients and companies need to consider the total costs and benefits.”