2s1: What are Irish and Scottish stakeholders' opinions of phosphorous recovery from rural wastewater in Ireland and Scotland?

Abstract

Phosphorous (P) is an essential constituent of mineral fertilisers and a valuable resource. Unfortunately, mineral reserves of rock phosphate are depleting on a global scale. As a result, the European Commission has recently added rock phosphate to its critical raw materials list to ensure the security of supply. P cannot be substituted with any other mineral and therefore, it is of high economic importance. It is important to investigate alternative and sustainable sources of P including P sourced from wastewater. A stakeholder survey was conducted to capture the views of key stakeholders in Ireland and Scotland on the recovery of P from wastewater systems in rural areas. The survey aimed to explore their knowledge, views and opinions on the importance of P recovery and identify the positive outcomes and possible challenges in the future, in a rural context.