What are nutrient cycles, and why do they matter for the resilience of cities and regions? 

These guidelines introduce circular sanitation, which treats human excreta and wastewater as valuable resources rather than waste streams and recovers nutrients, water and organic matter for reuse in agriculture through fertiliser production and fertigation. They explain how closing nitrogen and phosphorus cycles can reduce pollution, enhance resource security, and support sustainable local food systems. 

Drawing on European case studies, they present practical policies, governance models, and implementation measures that local and regional governments can apply to transition towards circular sanitation systems. 

Developed within the Horizon Europe project P2GreeN which is fostering a circular material flow system between urban and rural areas, the guidelines provide actionable recommendations, stakeholder engagement approaches, and tools to help make circular nutrient management a reality.

See the English summary of the guidelines (also available in Swedish, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Greek).