Sweden calls for EU action to unlock phosphorus recycling 

The Swedish government has proposed changes to EU feed legislation that would allow recycled phosphorus from sewage sludge ash to be used in animal feed. If adopted, this step could pave the way for large-scale phosphorus recycling across the EU, reducing reliance on imports from Russia. 

“Phosphorus is not just an agricultural input – it is a strategic resource. By updating outdated legislation, the EU can recycle this vital nutrient, safeguard our food supply, and build a globally competitive circular industry within Europe,” says Pär Larshans, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Ragn-Sells Group. 

Phosphorus is essential for producing fertilisers and animal feed, but the EU has almost no domestic supply. Nearly all phosphorus is imported from countries like Morocco and Russia – and in the first half of 2025, EU imports of phosphorus from Russia rose by more than 30 percent, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

“It is deeply troubling that the EU has become more dependent on phosphorus from Russian mines. If Europe is serious about building resilience and safeguarding its food security, we must stop relying on imported raw materials and start recovering the phosphorus we already have in our wastewater,” says Larshans. 

Ragn-Sells’ innovation company EasyMining has developed Ash2Phos, a patented technology that recovers more than 90 percent of the phosphorus in sewage sludge ash and refines it into RevoCaP, a high-purity recycled product. Two full-scale plants are under construction – in Helsingborg, Sweden, and Schkopau, Germany – showing that large-scale circular recovery is technically and economically viable. 

Although the European Commission has already approved recycled phosphorus for use in organic farming, a decades-old rule still bans its use in animal feed. The Swedish government is now urging the Commission to request a new risk assessment from EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) as the basis for changing the regulation.  

For further comment or interviews, please contact:   
Pär Larshans, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ragn-Sells Group, +46 70 927 29 63,  par.larshans@ragnsells.com   
Debby Porter Laffitte, Press Officer, Ragn-Sells Group, +46 10 723 24 00, press@ragnsells.com