Mainstreaming recycled fertilisers: An integrated SWOT, barrier, policy roadmap, and design-thinking governance framework

Abstract

Recycled fertilisers are a critical lever for transitioning to a circular nutrient economy, yet their mainstreaming is hindered by complex, interconnected barriers that require a proactive policy framework. While several studies have examined specific barriers, from technical uncertainties and economic disincentives to regulatory fragmentation and social perceptions, no coherent framework systematically integrates these diverse challenges with actionable policy pathways and adaptive governance mechanisms. This paper offers a novel integrated framework that combines analytical (SWOT and barrier assessment), strategic (phased policy roadmaps), and process-oriented (design thinking) components to examine the complexities and interventions required to move recycled fertiliser products from niche innovation to mainstream practice. Findings reveal that recycled fertilisers offer substantial strengths, including closing nutrient loops and decarbonising production, yet remain constrained by weaknesses, including contamination risks and regulatory fragmentation. These interconnected barriers require a phased policy roadmap strategy involving short-term regulatory harmonisation and financial incentives, medium-term digital traceability and market-pull mechanisms, and long-term fiscal reform and certification. Design-thinking shifts policymaking from siloed, top-down implementation to iterative, empathy-driven co-creation. This ensures policies reflect stakeholder needs, enabling adaptive refinement through prototyping and testing to build trust essential for successful implementation. Systematically linking analytical, strategic, and process-oriented components, prioritising interventions by impact and feasibility, and embedding stakeholder co-creation as core governance, this framework offers policymakers a practical, adaptive blueprint for accelerating circular nutrient transitions.