Residual flows on the soil: the next steps

This blog series is about our "Back to the Soil" project, in which we investigate whether several organic waste streams can be used as soil improvers in arable farming and how this can be legally implemented. This final blog post discusses the steps that still need to be taken after the project to enable the use of waste streams on the soil. Below, you'll find an overview of all the blog posts in this series.

In recent years, we've collected containers full of waste streams, overcome legal hurdles, measured our impact, conducted research, and shared our results. The conclusion seems clear: organic waste streams should no longer be incinerated, but rather used. For example, as a soil improver. The organic matter content will increase in the long term, the environmental impact is positive, and the waste streams are available. The only thing holding us back from disposing of coffee grounds and spent substrate on a large scale is... that coffee grounds and oyster mushroom substrate are still legally considered waste.

Our next step is to submit an application to the Fertilizer Experts Committee to have the residual flows classified as fertilizer. Unfortunately, we have to hire an external consultant to write the applications. We are currently seeking funding for this. It's incredibly exciting to see whether the applications will be approved. If so, we are, of course, ready to save residual flows from incineration on a large scale. 

We would like to thank our project partners, financiers, all the agencies, counters, and people we encountered along the way to obtaining the necessary permits, our fellow mushroom growers, all the coffee drinkers whose coffee grounds we used for this project, and all the other people and organizations who made this project a success.

Are you inspired and want to contribute to the coffee revolution? Then please contact us or visit www.rotterzwam.nl/bodem

Want to know more? This series consists of 11 blogs in which we tell you all about the project. Click and read more:

1. Intro: Back to the Soil blog series
2. Back to the Bottom: The Plan
3. Residual flows on the soil: why?
4. From plan to experiment: the legal waste stream soap
5. Waste legislation: what is waste?
6. Organic waste flows on the soil: what are the legal implications?
7. Update 1: Pot trials, waste stream collection & spreading
8. Update 2: Back to the bottom
9. Residual flows on the soil: the research results
10. Residual flows on the soil: the impact
11. Residual flows on the soil: the next steps