Research

The Phos4plant project aims to investigate a new process for producing a mineral fertilizer from sewage sludge ash. The potential of leaching the phosphorus from the ash using organic acids produced by microorganisms is being investigated. The soluble phosphorus compounds are electrochemically precipitated in a further process step to produce mineral fertilizer. The aim of the project is to optimize the leaching and precipitation in order to achieve the highest possible phosphorus to (undesirable) heavy metal ratio and consequently to obtain a fertilizer with low contamination. The quality of the fertilizer should be able to meet the approval requirements (as a fertilizer; Fertilizer Ordinance). The project is accompanied by a profitability and life cycle analysis, which compares the current processes and the extraction of mineral fertilizer from decomposition and shows the potential of a circular economy, regional fertilizer production from sewage sludge ash.

Reducing food waste and the associated environmental impact is an important issue in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 12.3). Particularly high levels of food waste have been identified in schools, accounting for up to 70% of the meals prepared, depending on the age of the pupils and the seasonal menu. School meals have to meet different requirements, with the focus on a balanced, healthy and sustainable diet in addition to acceptance by the schoolchildren. However, these goals are often at odds with the goals of food waste prevention. The project aims to make food chains more sustainable at school level and at the same time to achieve a learning effect for households and other stakeholders via the schools. The project results will help to improve the knowledge and implementation capacities of all target groups in the school system with regard to the prevention and recycling of food waste. An actual reduction of food waste will be achieved by -implementing various pilot and demonstration measures to prevent and recycle food waste in the school context -promoting best-practice concepts through the announcement of an international prize for food waste prevention in the school context and by initiating national and transnational working groups, and -providing guidelines and training to ensure transferability and scalability. The project makes a significant contribution to improving the knowledge gaps regarding the causes of wasteful behavior and, above all, the evidence-based design of measures to reduce food waste and the introduction of evaluation procedures.

The consumption of fruit and vegetables causes environmental impacts that vary depending on which crops are consumed in which season. In order to reduce the environmental impact and in particular greenhouse gas emissions caused by consumption, it is essential to understand the cultivation methods and value chains. The life cycle assessment (LCA) method, standardized according to ISO 14040/44, and the product environmental footprint (PEF) are suitable methods for this. There are currently hardly any LCAs for the production of fruit and vegetables in Austria. This project aims to fill this gap. Based on primary data from Austrian farms, detailed LCAs will be prepared for at least 5 fruit and vegetable crops. The aim of this work is to find out what influence the origin of selected fruit and vegetables has on the environmental impact associated with the product. In detail, the carbon and water footprint will be considered. The following research questions are to be answered as part of the project: - What is the environmental impact of selected fruit and vegetable crops - Are there differences due to different transportation routes and types of cultivation - What savings could result from a change in consumer behavior from foreign to domestic products