The Nutrient Platform is a cross-sectoral network of Dutch organizations that believe in a pragmatic approach towards nutrient scarcity. Frontrunners from the water sector, agriculture, waste sector and chemical industry have joined forces to close nutrient cycles. Together with the government, knowledge institutes and NGOs we accelerate the transition towards sustainable nutrient management by creating a market for recycled nutrients.

Above all, the Nutrient Platform aims to turn the surplus of phosphorus in the Netherlands into an opportunity. This surplus, mainly the result of our intensive livestock system, causes environmental problems. By recovering phosphorus from our ‘waste’ streams and turning it into valuable new products, not only the environment is improved but also the phosphorus cycle is closed.

The Dutch Approach

36 Dutch parties representing businesses, knowledge institutes, NGOs and the government are member of the Nutrient Platform. Our joint ambition is to create a market for recycled nutrients in which:

As many nutrients as possible are recovered from ‘waste’ streams (wastewater, sludge, manure, swill) and recycled into valuable new products (fertilizers, animal feed, chemicals)
The recovered nutrients are exported to contribute to soil improvement and food security elsewhere, in case of a surplus on the Dutch market

We believe in realizing the circular economy with this approach.

In practice, the members of the Nutrient Platform are achieving these goals by:

Developing innovative cross-sectoral business cases on nutrient recycling
Improving Dutch and European legislation that helps turning ‘waste’ into resources
Creating awareness about sustainable nutrient management
Linking a joint knowledge agenda to business demand

Furthermore, the Nutrient Platform has initiated and realized the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP). ESPP brings together companies and other stakeholders to address the phosphorus challenge and its opportunities.

Organisation

The Nutrient Platform is a cross-sectoral network organisation with members, who’s activities are being supported by a ‘light secretariat’. In practice this means that the members play a big part in determining the activities and decisions of the NP. The secretariat helps in carrying out the agreed strategy, facilitating communication between its members and coördinating external communicating. The secretariat is hosted by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP).