RUN contributes to the resilience and resource efficiency of agrosystems. The goal is to develop and test practicable and ecologically as well as economically sustainable technologies for closing nutrient and resource cycles between urban and rural areas. Partial material flows of domestic biowaste and waste water from urban settlements shall be transformed into safe and effective design fertilizers for local agriculture.
After the third project year, the construction and installation of a pilot plant in a part of an urban settlement quarter of approx. 150-200 residents is planned for demonstration purposes. Besides, a physical space of information and experience will be set up to illustrate all (technical) components of the nutrient recycling and partnership concept on community level - from the come up of residues to the backflow of recycled nutrients in form of agricultural products.
The socio-scientific component specifically considers the perspectives of potential future users and promotes the communication. By this way, potential obstacles can be detected and integrated at an early stage of the development of solution concepts.
The project is coordinated by the University of Stuttgart, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Kranert, Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA)