Towards circular phosphorus: The need of inter- and transdisciplinary research to close the broken cycle

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element to all living beings but also a finite resource. P-related problems center around broken P cycles from local to global scales. This paper presents outcomes from the 9th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW9) held 2019 on how to move towards a sustainable P management. It is based on two sequential discussion rounds with all participants. Important progress was reported regarding the awareness of P as finite mineable resource, technologies to recycle P, and legislation towards a circular P economy. Yet, critical deficits were identified such as how to handle legacy P, how climate change may affect ecosystem P cycling, or working business models to up-scale existing recycling models. Workshop participants argued for more transdisciplinary networks to narrow a perceived science-practice/policy gap. While this gap may be smaller in reality as illustrated with a Swiss example, we formulate recommendations how to bridge this gap more effectively.

Automated summary

This paper summarizes the outcomes of the 9th International Phosphorus Workshop on moving towards sustainable phosphorus management, highlighting progress in recognizing phosphorus as a finite mineable resource, technologies for phosphorus recycling, and legislative efforts towards a circular phosphorus economy. However, critical deficits exist, such as dealing with legacy phosphorus, understanding the impact of climate change on ecosystem phosphorus cycling, and developing business models to scale up existing recycling practices.