From urine to fertiliser: on-site nutrient recovery in circular sanitation systems (RECLAIM-U)

The project "Recovery of Nutrients through Circular Local Approaches to Integrated Management of Urine" (RECLAIM-U) addresses current challenges in nutrient recovery and sustainable wastewater management. In conventional centralized systems, valuable nutrients are largely lost or can only be recovered through energy-intensive processes. At the same time, regulatory requirements for phosphorus recovery and micropollutant removal are becoming increasingly important.

Against this background, the project investigates decentralised urine treatment as a concentrated nutrient source. The core technology, the “Nutrient Harvester”, stabilises urine and converts it into a fertiliser product.

The main objective is to evaluate and further develop this technology under real-life conditions at the KREIS-Haus living lab. The project assesses technical performance and operational reliability, micropollutant removal, and the agronomic value of the produced fertilizer. In addition, it examines social acceptance, regulatory frameworks, and economic potential.

The project follows an interdisciplinary approach by combining engineering, agronomic, and social science methods. In addition, close collaboration between research and practice supports the transfer into application. ZHAW contributes its expertise in applied, agronomic, and social science research as well as system integration, Eawag supports the further development of the technology, particularly for micropollutant removal, and the industry partner Ogmo focuses on implementation and scaling. The results aim to support the integration of decentralised nutrient recovery into existing infrastructures and to provide a basis for the wider implementation of circular sanitation systems.