Turning food waste into sustainable soil improvers for better soil health and improved food systems

Project Information

Waste4Soil

Grant agreement ID: 101112708

DOI

10.3030/101112708

EC signature date 23 May 2023

Start date 1 June 2023

End date 31 May 2027

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 6 999 461,25

EU contribution

€ 6 999 461,25

Coordinated by

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Waste4Soil (Turning food waste into sustainable soil improvers for better soil health and improved food systems)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Waste4Soil project aims to enhance food processing residue management by converting organic waste into high-value bio-based soil improvers, enhancing soil health and promoting sustainable food systems. By developing innovative nutrient recycling methods, the project directly supports circular economy principles and addresses the pressing challenge of food waste valorisation.
Bringing together a diverse consortium of 28 partners across 10 countries, including research institutions and SMEs, Waste4Soil adopts a holistic approach to soil health and nutrient recovery. The project aims to valorize food industry residues from meat, dairy, cereals, and olive oil processing, converting them into high-value soil improvers, including biochar, biophosphates, hydrolysates, compost, and biostimulants. To enhance nutrient recovery and soil health, Waste4Soil will investigate ten processes, integrating both existing and emerging technologies, such as composting, pyrolysis, bio-electrochemical methods, and selective electrodialysis.
A key element of the project is the establishment of seven Living Labs across Europe, where these innovative solutions are tested under real-world conditions. Waste4Soil also engages food value chain stakeholders through a standardized evaluation framework, ensuring effective assessment and implementation of food residue recycling strategies.
Leveraging IoT, data analytics, and process optimization, Waste4Soil enhances the efficiency of food processing residue conversion, maximizing resource recovery while minimizing environmental impact. By closing nutrient and organic matter loops, the project supports the European Green Deal, contributing to soil health, reducing landfill dependency, and reinforcing sustainable agriculture.
Through its integrated approach, Waste4Soil delivers practical guidelines and best practices, ensuring that innovative waste valorisation strategies are effectively adopted across the agri-food sector, paving the way for a more resilient and circular agricultural system.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first project period, efforts focused on establishing Living Labs and developing tailored workplans for valorising food processing residues (FPR) into soil improvers, biostimulants, and fertilizing products. Progress included evaluating 41 existing practices using Technology and Business Readiness Level, identifying best practices, and addressing regulatory bottlenecks. Additionally, a comprehensive evaluation framework with measurable KPIs was created, with plans for ongoing updates throughout the project's duration. Groundwork was also laid for an evaluation tool designed to support decision-making in FPR valorisation.
Living Labs played a key role in advancing stakeholder engagement by organizing meetings and workshops that brought together food industry representatives, waste managers, landowners, farmers, policymakers, and community associations. These groups provided valuable insights into market needs and social acceptance.
Additionally, innovative technologies, including selective electrodialysis, microbial electrolysis cells, pyrolysis, composting, and algae treatment, were applied to various types of FPRs produced in the Living Lab areas. Field trials were conducted on both commercial and experimental farms, testing soil improvers such as compost and biochar in Spanish vineyards, protein hydrolysates for crops in Italy, microalgae biostimulants in Slovenia, and ammonium sulphate derived from digestate in Greece. Finland focused on digestate and fish sludge amenders, while Hungary tested the COMPO-CHAR process. These efforts aimed to address regional challenges, including phosphorus and carbon deficiencies and nutrient requirements.
In parallel, soil sampling was carried out to characterize soil types, as well as assess nutrient content and needs for each Living Lab. Ongoing soil health monitoring will evaluate the positive impacts of these solutions on nutrient stabilization and the enhancement of organic carbon levels.
Preliminary Life Cycle Assessments were conducted for each technology application to provide a comprehensive understanding of their environmental impact and sustainability. These assessments evaluated key factors such as resource use, emissions, and overall ecological footprint, helping to identify the most sustainable options for FPR valorisation. Finally, preliminary business models were developed to commercialize soil improvers, aligning with circular economy principles. Stakeholder workshops will refine these models, focusing on social acceptance, funding opportunities, and scalability, thus paving the way for economically viable and sustainable solutions.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The Waste4Soil project has significantly advanced the circularity of the food system by optimizing the mapping, collection, and valorization of food processing residues (FPR) into soil improvers (SI). This includes developing a novel sensor for quality monitoring in containerized storage and transportation systems and establishing the GEMYO platform and an end-user app for improved FPR management.
Beyond these achievements, Waste4Soil has extended the scope of existing waste valorization and soil amenders production techniques. Research confirmed that nitrification successfully occurs when plant-based residues are used as composting feedstock, thereby broadening the range of materials suitable for composting.
The project also introduced an innovative methodology for valorizing Category 2 porcine fallen stock into sustainable biostimulants. This approach not only yields higher protein content but also processes the entire animal, fostering a more circular food system and promoting responsible agricultural practices. Simultaneously, protein hydrolysis was explored on other matrices like sludge from effluent treatment, as well as chicken carcasses and soybean okara, which had been largely unexplored for SI production.
In addition, Waste4Soil further developed a pyrolysis system that transforms previously unexploited biomass into high-value SI, which are then used to create a wide range of BIO-NPK-C biofertilizers.
Furthermore, the project designed and constructed a pilot-scale bioelectrochemical system for highly efficient ammonia recovery from digestate. This represents a significant leap beyond laboratory-scale demonstrations, directly addressing a major hurdle for industrial implementation.
Finally, a novel, multi-component SI was developed, consisting of digestate, solid olive mill residues, and digestate-saturated biochar. This integrated methodology goes beyond current single or binary component approaches by holistically valorizing waste streams and significantly enhancing agronomic performance through optimized component ratios, setting a new benchmark for sustainable SI.

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Waste4soil_Living Labs map