Ragn-Sells Contributes to UK House of Lords Report on Circular Nitrogen

The UK House of Lords has now released its pivotal report, “Nitrogen: Time to Reduce, Recycle, Reuse”, highlighting the urgent need for circular approaches to nitrogen management. The final comprehensive report highlights the environmental, health, and economic costs of nitrogen pollution and calls for coordinated action across agriculture, wastewater, transport, and industry, in which Ragn-Sells played a role in shaping the report’s insights.

Represented by Sustainability Director Pär Larshans, Ragn-Sells provided expert testimony during the March 2025 hearing in London. Drawing on our experience in nutrient recovery and circular solutions, we shared Nordic perspectives on nutrient recovery and circular economy strategies already being implemented in practice with practical examples and data demonstrating how nitrogen can be efficiently reused from waste streams.

Ragn-Sells contribution reinforced the report’s emphasis on innovation, policy clarity, and investment in recovery technologies. It also aligns with Ragn-Sells’ mission to transform waste into valuable resources and lead the transition to a circular economy.

“If we are serious about building a sustainable society, we must use the resources we already have. So, we need to treat nitrogen and phosphorus as resources, and the solutions are already here,” says Pär Larshans. “What we need now is for governments to create the regulatory and financial conditions that allow innovation to scale. Nitrogen recovery is not a dream—it’s happening. The question is: will policy keep up?”

These are some of the key recommendations in the report.

1. Adopt a Circular Economy Approach
   The UK Government should implement a circular nitrogen strategy within two years, beginning with a national Nitrogen Balance Sheet to track flows, sources, and sinks—updated annually and supported by dedicated funding.
2. Enable Cross-Sector Collaboration
   Stronger collaboration between the wastewater and agricultural sectors are essential. Catchment-based and nature-based solutions should be promoted to manage nitrogen more effectively.
3. Scale Nutrient Recovery Technologies
   Investment in technologies that recover nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater should be prioritized. This includes shifting from nitrogen removal to recovery, especially during infrastructure upgrades from 2025 to 2030.
4. Reform Policy and Regulation
   Clear policy direction and financial incentives are needed to support nutrient recovery. End-of-waste legislation should be reviewed to allow high-quality recovered nutrients to be marketed based on quality, not origin.
5. Set Nitrogen Discharge Targets
   While phosphorus limits have improved water quality, the absence of nitrogen targets for wastewater discharges is a concern. Introducing such targets is critical to addressing eutrophication risks.
6. Strengthen Implementation of Existing Regulations
   The Water Framework Directive has potential but requires better enforcement. Catchment-based approaches work well in smaller areas with strong partnerships, yet funding remains overly focused on infrastructure.

As the UK considers its next steps, Ragn-Sells stands ready to support the implementation of sustainable nitrogen management—turning environmental challenges into economic opportunities.

“The UK has a chance to lead, but only if it learns from those already putting circularity into action. In Sweden and in Germany we are now building Europe’s first Ash2Phos plants, but the potential to recovering nitrogen from wastewater and converting it into fertiliser-grade products is much bigger. It’s not theoretical. It’s real,” Pär Larshans concludes.

Link to the report here: Time to reduce, recycle and reuse nitrogen, says Lords Committee - Committees - UK Parliament

Related content: EasyMining: Why we should discuss nitrogen recovery from water bodies