The pre-existing policy environment in the Baltic Sea region, defined by national interests and implemented within sectoral silos, has historically constrained innovation and implementation of systemic measures to safeguard the fundamental bio-physical basis that sustains 60 million people and 10 nations forming this vibrant region; namely its waters, its land and its air. Existing measures tend to only address challenges within a single sector and/or locality, often leading the translocation of challenges elsewhere in the Baltic Sea Region or the emergence of new challenges in another sector.
This BONUS RETURN project will focus on eco-technologies that reconcile key conflicting challenges inhibiting sustainable development in urban and rural settings within the Baltic Sea Region whilst reducing nutrient enrichment and carbonization in water bodies.
Pilots in Sweden, Finland and Poland will be set up to test the most promising eco-technologies identified by the project. Envisaged project outputs include an evidence-based review of eco-technologies; innovative models comprising both nutrient and carbon cycling; sustainability assessments of selected eco-technologies; policy recommendations for promoting the eco-technologies; and market strategies for the most promising eco-technologies.
SEI is coordinating the project with the following partners:
The BONUS RETURN project was exploring the reduction of emissions to the Baltic Sea from agriculture and wastewater.
- Other publications
- Economy
- Governance
- Water
- Land
- 13 December 2020
- Baltic
- EU
Karina Barquet reflects on lessons learned through her work addressing issues confronting the Baltic Sea region in the BONUS RETURN project.
- Perspective
- Economy
- Governance
- Water
- Land
- 11 December 2020
- Baltic
- EU
This brief highlights the potential for upscaling gypsum use in the Baltic Sea Region as a promising component of Baltic Sea protection actions.
- SEI briefs
- Governance
- Economy
- Water
- 15 January 2020
- Finland
- EU
This brief looks at how the Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster serves as a living laboratory for small cities seeking to transition to a circular economy model.
- SEI briefs
- Economy
- Governance
- Water
- Energy
- 15 January 2020
- Poland
- EU
This brief examines the impact of national policy directives on speeding up the circular economy transition, and their implications on cities such as Uppsala.
- SEI briefs
- Economy
- Governance
- Water
- Land
- 15 January 2020
- Sweden
- EU
Ecotechnologies can turn carbon and nutrients into benefits. What would the circular management of nutrients look like in the Baltic Sea Region?
- Event
- Land
- Water
- 30 January 2020
- 15:00 - 17:30
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Sweden
- Northern Europe
This open-access study argues that there is considerable potential to develop a circular economy in phosphorus, but policy support and new research is needed.
- Journal articles
- Water
- Health
- 17 January 2020
- Baltic
This policy brief responds to the recent government inquiry into phosphorus recycling and the future of agricultural use of sewage sludge in Sweden.
- SEI briefs
- Economy
- Health
- 30 January 2020
- Sweden
Get the protocol for an upcoming systematic review on ecotechnology effectiveness for recovery and reuse of nitrogen and phosphorus from agriculture.
- Journal articles
- Land
- 12 August 2019
A systematic map protocol for a study of evidence on ecotechnologies for recovery and reuse of carbon and nutrients.
- Journal articles
- Water
- 22 January 2019
- Baltic
This systematic map identifies studies on ecotechnologies for reusing carbon and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from domestic wastewater.
- Journal articles
- Water
- 7 January 2019
- Baltic
- EU
- Feature
- Governance
- Land
- 21 September 2018
The winners of the BONUS RETURN innovation challenge are Aquacare in the Netherlands, TerraNova in Germany, and Ravita in Finland.
- Press release
- Economy
- Climate
- 5 April 2018
- Baltic
Outputs
Below is a list of selected outputs from the project.
- Final Report: Results, Conclusions and Recommendations
- Mission Blue: Exploring Circular Interventions in the Baltic Sea Region
- Policy Brief: The Role of Gypsum Soil Amendments in Reducing Coastal Nutrient Run-off in Finland
- Policy Brief: Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a new paradigm for a local circular economy in renewable energy and waste recycling in Poland
- Policy Brief: Implications of new national policies on management of sewage sludge for a Swedish municipality
- Policy Brief: Swedish sludge management at the crossroads
- Journal article: Identifying barriers and opportunities for a circular phosphorus economy in the Baltic Sea region
- Film: Sea of Opportunity
- Decision Support Toolbox
- Serious Game System
- Free access to functioning SWAT application of the three river basins
- Barriers and opportunities for a circular phosphorus economy
- Cost Benefit Analysis of selected ecotechnologies
- Systematic review report of ecotechnology effectiveness
- Symbiosis in a circular economy: workshop report
- State of the art report on economic models in the Baltic Sea Region
- Report on current policy instruments and governance structures in the Baltic Sea Region
- Historical Review Report: circularity from concept to practice
- List of Emerging Ecotechnologies
- First Periodic Report
- Systematic map report, database and interactive GIS
- Shortlist of Ecotechnologies
- Report from multi-criteria analysis with comparisons of case studies and ecotechnologies
- Closing the loop on nutrient losses from agriculture and cities
The full list is available on the BONUS RETURN website.
- Team Leader: Water, Coasts and Ocean; Senior Research Fellow
- SEI Headquarters
- @barquet4
- Senior Research Fellow
- SEI Headquarters
- @arnorosemarin
- Senior Research Fellow
- SEI Headquarters
- @biljana_macura
- Research Fellow
- SEI Headquarters
- @LinnJarnberg
- Communications Officer
- SEI Headquarters
- Communications
- Research Associate
- SEI Headquarters
- @geo_savvidou
- Research Associate
- SEI Headquarters
- Head of Division: Global Agendas, Climate and Systems
- SEI Headquarters
- Research Fellow
- SEI Headquarters
- @NelsonEkaneSEI