Experts assess plastic waste in recycled fertilizers poses no immediate health threat in Finland

Experts assess that plastic waste included with recycled fertilizers does not pose an immediate threat to human health. The issue garnered attention when a farmer refused to apply recycled fertilizer containing visible plastic debris. Research indicates that a significant portion of this plastic waste originates from food packaging in retail settings, where sorting out these materials from food waste is not an option. Food must be packaged in plastics that do not transfer harmful chemicals to food.

Sari Kauppi, a specialist at the Finnish Environment Institute, notes that food-grade plastic waste is unlikely to contain harmful substances. Recycled fertilizers are produced from organic waste collected from households and grocery stores, as the EU encourages nutrient recycling. The organic waste is anaerobically digested, yielding gas that can be harnessed for vehicle fuel. The remaining biomass is then transformed into fertilizers for crops like grains and oilseeds.

Once recycled fertilizer has been applied, the land cannot be used for animal fodder for one year and for food crops for two years. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry allows some plastic content in fertilizers because current methods do not efficiently remove plastics at biogas plants. However, the presence of plastics could eventually break down into microplastics, which are defined as plastic particles less than five millimeters in size.

Kauppi emphasizes the importance of preventing plastics from entering farmland through fertilizer, noting that as microplastic levels rise in the environment, their effects could become more pronounced. Specialist Merja Korkalainen from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare adds that while exposure to microplastics is not currently considered a significant health risk, they can accumulate in human organs, including the liver, kidneys, and brain.