Phosphorus case Germany: Grounding policy approaches

Transcription

1 Phosphorus case Germany: Grounding policy approaches Dominic Wittmer, Wuppertal Institute Christian Kabbe, Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin 2nd Scientific European P workshop Sustainable Phosphorus use in the EU

2 Content 1. Introduction 2. Phosphorus flows in Germany 3. Comparison with Switzerland 4. Policy Approaches 2

3 Introduction Why analysing P-Flows? Life s bottleneck! We may be able to substitute nuclear power for coal, and plastics for wood, and yeast for meat, and friendliness for isolation but for phosphorus there is neither substitute nor replacement. - Isaac Asimov ( ) - 3

4 Introduction Human influence on phosphorus flows Flows (Mt/a) Geogenic Pre-industrial (1800) Recent (2000) Natural flows intensified by human activities Erosion >10 >15 >30 River transport >7 >9 >22 Anthropogenic flows Crop uptake Animal wastes -- >1 >15 Human wastes Organic recycling -- <0.5 >6 Inorganic fertilizers Source: after Smil (2000) 4

5 1000 tonnes Introduction Development of Fertiliser Demand Nitrogen Phosphate Potash Source: FAO,

6 Phosphorus Flows in Germany Characteristics of SFA System (Gethke-Albinus 2012) 1. System border: Technosphere - Biogeosphere 2. Balancing border: German territory internal processes, stocks indicated in italics: Agriculture Industry Waste/Waste water management Households Crop cultivation (soil) Livestock production Biogas production Phosphorus industry Fertilizer (dump) Food Fodder Detergents Other ind. (durables) Waste water management Waste management (waste dumps) (human stock) 4. External processes: Import, Export, Hydrosphere 6

7 Source: Gethke-Albinus (2012) 7

8 Phosphorus Flows in Germany Netto imports > 300,000 tp/a of which 36% stored in waste dumps, and 29% entering soil Largest P flows within agriculture Huge losses to hydrosphere 8

9 Phosphorus Flows in Germany Total Balance Flow Annual flow [tp/a] Per capita [kg/cap/a] TOTAL IMPORTS - To phosphorus industry - To detergent industry - To fodder industry - To food industry - To other industries - To households - To crop production - To livestock production TOTAL EXPORTS - From phosphorus industry - From fertiliser industry - From fodder industry - From food industry - From detergent industry 535, ,018 5,919 3, ,652 5,066 13,103 71, , ,510 31,567 23,144 4, ,174 15,015 European scientific workshop on Designing Phosphorus Cycle at Country Scale July 5th-6th 2011 Bordeaux TO HYDROSPHERE 33,

10 Phosphorus Flows in Switzerland Source: after Binder, de Baan, Wittmer,

11 Phosphorus Flows in Switzerland Result 1: Switzerland is net importer of phosphorus ca tp/a % of the imports to agriculture (5 900 tp/a mineral fertiliser) >10 % of the imports to production of non-biogenic goods Result 2: Agriculture: circular flow between plants and animals ca tp/a losses by carcass/meat bone meal: ca tp/a. Result 3: Waste management: Turnover of ca tp/a. 23 % Recycling organic waste, 10 % of sewage sludge 77 % Losses Runoff sewage, rest of sewage sludge, carcass/meat bone meal 11

12 Phosphorus Flows in Switzerland Summary Switzerland Regarding P supply, Switzerland is highly dependent on imports The dependency affects directly the plant production and animal production, and thus indirectly the food supply There are potentials for improvement mainly in waste management and agriculture 12

13 Phosphorus Flows in Switzerland Flow TOTAL IMPORTS To phosphorus industry To detergent industry To fodder industry To food industry* To other industries To households (det.) To crop production To livestock production TOTAL EXPORTS From phosphorus industry From fertiliser industry From fodder industry From food industry* From detergent industry Total Balance (2006) Annual flow [tp/a] 18,498 incl. in det. Ind. 360 n.s. 5,081 incl. in det. Ind. 1,556 5,886 5,615 1,976 incl. in det. Ind. n.s. n.s. 1, Per capita [kg/cap/a] , European scientific workshop on Designing Phosphorus Cycle at Country Scale July 5th-6th 2011 Bordeaux TO HYDROSPHERE 2, *assumption: 50% of domestically produced animal food gets exported. + animal waste & flue ash: 0,23 kg/cap/a 13

14 Phosphorus Flows Per-capita Comparison DE-CH Flow TOTAL IMPORTS To phosphorus industry To detergent industry To fodder industry To food industry* To other industries To households (det.) To crop production To livestock production TOTAL EXPORTS From phosphorus industry From fertiliser industry From fodder industry From food industry* From detergent industry Binder etal. (2009) DE [kg/cap/a] Gethke-Albinus (2012) CH [kg/cap/a] [0,23] European scientific workshop on Designing Phosphorus Cycle at Country Scale July 5th-6th 2011 Bordeaux , Ratio DE : CH TO HYDROSPHERE ,4 2,7 1,4 2,3 0,76 1,1 1,9 5,8 7,

15 Political Instruments to Promote P Use Efficiency in Germany (1) Legal Requirement to recover P from relevant waste streams according to state-of-the-art with dynamic quotes depending on BAT with incentives for meeting these requirements - i.e. wastewater stream: legal base: waste water ordinance incentives by reduced wastwater fee - P recovery ordinance (already drafted) Blending quote for recycled P with primary P in fertilizers - i.e. to meet 20mg Cd/kg requirements (improves quality by blending) Prohibition to dilute P rich matrices (P>2%) - no co-incineration of sewage sludge or bio-waste without prior P recovery - no dumping of mono-inc. ashes in old mines - separate interim storage of these ashes until capacities available for proper treatment - increase of mono-incineration capacity?

16 Political Instruments to Promote P Use Efficiency in Germany (2) Harmonization of legal requirements - sewage sludge, fertilizer and soil protection ordinances - EU-wide market for fertilizers requires harmonized requirements Substitution of P in non-essential products if there are environmentally friendly substitutes available Re-thinking of quality classes of agro products to reduce food waste (taste of nature instead of industrial uniformity) (EU level)

17 Political Instruments to Promote P Use Efficiency in Germany (3) Definition of end of waste status of recycled P Allowance to use P from all categories of meat and bone meal after incineration Proper funding not only for R&D, but also for DEMO (Innovation is application!!!, Who bears the risk for investment?) National platform to promote P recycling (bringing together Scientists, Practicioners and Politicians from all relevant sectors (water/environment, agriculture, industry)

18 Thanks for your attention!