LIFE STRUVITE: From waste to valuable fertiliser
Project 101294154 — LIFE25-ENV-EN-LIFE STRUVIET
Innovative natural soil amendment and fertilizer made by N-enriched zeolite and struvite based on the treatment of slurries with a high nutrient (especially N) content
Can we recover nutrients from wastewater and reuse them in agriculture? The LIFE STRUVITE project will demonstrate that this is not only possible but can also be an important step towards more sustainable food production.
The project focuses on developing and testing innovative natural products, such as nitrogen-enriched zeolite and struvite. These substances are extracted from wastewater that is rich in nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Examples include the liquid fraction of pig manure or residues from plants that generate energy from biomass. Instead of treating these streams as waste, the valuable nutrients are extracted and converted into usable products for agriculture. Delphy will test the products at the Improvement Centre in greenhouse strawberry cultivation. Partners in Italy and Croatia will test the products in the open field as fertilisers and soil improvers for tomatoes, spinach, maize and grapes. The aim is to reduce or even replace the use of traditional synthetic fertilisers without compromising crop yields. The products will be studied over a two-year period. The research will focus not only on crop growth and yield, but also on the environmental impacts. For example, the study will investigate whether these new fertilisers can help to limit the loss of nutrients to the soil, water and air.
By recovering valuable nutrients from waste streams, LIFE STRUVITE demonstrates how agriculture can benefit from the principles of the circular economy: waste becomes a new raw material.
Research period: June 1, 2026 – November 30, 2029
This project is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
