The zirkulierBAR project was a research project in Eberswalde, in the Barnim district. The project was funded as part of the BMBF's REGION.innovativ funding programme. The consortium consisted of municipalities, start-ups, companies, universities and research institutions. Their common goal was to implement a flagship project for a regional and sustainable circular economy from sanitary by-product streams in the Barnim-Eberswalde region by 2024.

The centrepiece of the project was a research facility in Eberswalde, which was expanded and technically developed into a real laboratory. During the project period, commercially collected contents from dry toilets were refined into humus compost and liquid complex fertiliser. (Urine and faeces contain around 80 percent of the nutrients found in municipal wastewater). The project focused on two main areas of research: 1. the quality and hygienic safety of the recycled fertilisers compared to conventional synthetic fertilisers and animal-based fertilisers.

2. to dismantle the legal and cultural barriers that could arise in the use and acceptance of recycled fertilisers.

Waste and fertiliser law framework recommendations were developed and dialogue events were held with politicians, business and society. The zirkulierBAR real laboratory has attracted interested parties from horticulture, agriculture, fertiliser production, local authorities and companies throughout Germany.

The IZT had the task of self-evaluation in the project consortium (in co-operation with the consortium management IGZ).

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