Smart MAnagement of spent mushRoom subsTrate to lead the MUSHROOM sector towards a circular economy

ended

Waste from animal breeding and agriculture, specifically horse and chicken manure and wheat straw, are the raw materials of the growing substrate of mushroom. To grow 1 tonne of mushroom, 3 to 4 tonnes of substrate are needed. However, when mushroom production is completed the substrate cannot be used for another growing cycle due to the depletion of nutrients needed for mushroom growing and it is called Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) and becomes a waste that should be managed according to regulations. In Europe, c.a. 3.65 million tons of SMS are generated each year. SMS is a high-moisture content bulk material rich in organic matter and nutrients and it could be reused in agriculture by adding it to the soils as amendment or mulch or weathered to be reused as casing soil. However, nitrates directive set a disposal limit that makes that large quantities of SMS cannot be simply spread in soils next to growers’ facilities, as there is a high risk of leachates and water pollution. Due to its low bulk density and high water content, transportation costs are high and therefore storage is becoming a sound problem. SmartMUSHROOM aims to increase mushroom growers’ waste management efficiency by using a new technology which allow them to obtain enough biogas from fresh SMS to dry a mixture of digestate and additional fresh SMS and pelletize it targeting to obtain a marketable high-quality organic fertilizer rich in organic matter and in nutrients, easy to handle, store and transport to any farming region in Europe. A perfect example of biobased circular economy. The aim of the project is to build a pilot plant to demonstrate the technology and find the best commercial formulation for the pellets to enter organic farming market. After the end of project we aim to build at least 18 treatment plants that will place in market 153,000 tonnes of SMS-pellets, generating a total Turnover of 54M€ in the period 2021-2025 and up to 105 related new jobs.