What is this tool intended for?

The CiNURGi Draft Industry Standards are intended to support the safe and credible use of recycled nutrient fertilizers by providing a structured method for evaluating their quality, safety, agronomic performance, and environmental impacts. The standards address the need for enforceable, evidence-based standards to increase user confidence and prevent adverse human health and environmental outcomes associated with recycled nutrient products.

How does this tool work?

The standards are delivered as a structured technical report that outlines a comprehensive evaluation framework for RNFs. It builds on EU regulatory concepts, such as product function categories and component material categories, while extending them through practical assessment criteria. The framework covers nutrient content, stability and hygienization, contaminant assessment, physical properties, handling, storage, and field application. It is a document-based tool intended for expert use rather than a digital platform.

Who might use this tool and with which types of stakeholders?

Primary users include fertilizer producers, waste-to-resource technology developers, regulators, certification bodies, and policymakers. Secondary users include researchers, agricultural advisors, farm organizations, and environmental authorities. The tool supports dialogue between regulators, industry actors, farmers, and environmental agencies by providing a shared technical and conceptual basis for quality assurance.

What stages of a process can this tool support?

The standards support multiple stages along the recycled nutrient fertilizer value chain, including product development, regulatory classification, quality assurance, certification preparation, market entry, and post-market monitoring. They are also relevant for policy design, regulatory harmonization, and the development of future certification or compliance schemes.

What skills, capabilities and resources are required to use this tool?

Effective use requires familiarity with fertilizer regulation, nutrient management, and environmental risk assessment. Access to laboratory data on nutrient content and contaminants, as well as agronomic performance data, is necessary. No specialized software is required, but institutional capacity for monitoring, testing, and regulatory interpretation is essential.

Where can this tool be used?

The tool is primarily developed for the Baltic Sea Region but is conceptually applicable across the European Union and other regions seeking to regulate recycled nutrient fertilizers. It is relevant in agricultural settings where RNFs derived from wastewater, manure, or organic waste are produced, marketed, or applied, and in policy contexts aiming to strengthen circular nutrient management.

Case examples of where this tool has been used

The draft standards draw on examples of recycled nutrient fertilizers produced from municipal wastewater, sewage sludge, manure, and organic waste streams within the Baltic Sea Region. While not presented as formal case studies, these examples inform the practical evaluation of RNFs under real-world production and farming conditions.