Climate change and increasing resource scarcity are posing new challenges for professional horticulture as the use of peat is coming under scrutiny. Peat is extracted from bogs, which play a crucial ecological role by storing large amounts of CO₂ and helping to regulate the regional water balance. In light of these environmental concerns, the German government’s Climate Action Plan 2050 aims for a significant reduction in peat usage.

Within Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia plays a central role in commercial horticulture: around 23 percent of the country’s gross value added in the fruit, vegetable, ornamental plant and tree nursery sectors is generated here. As a result, the demand for sustainable substrate alternatives has surged. 

That’s where the ReStrat project comes in. It investigates how locally available residues can be used as alternatives to peat in growing media. These materials—generated as waste products of other processes—have largely remained unused to date. The project evaluates several materials, with a primary focus on sieve overflow from composting processes. The goal of the project is to develop new, innovative upcycling approaches that enhance the suitability of these materials as substrate components. Ultimately, ReStrat aims to support peat reduction efforts and the sustainable production of growing media by promoting a regional circular economy.

The project is developing processes for the optimal processing of these materials and practical substrate mixtures for professional horticulture. As a project partner, Meo Carbon Solutions (MCS) is primarily responsible for assessing the sustainability of the materials, identifying potential sustainability risks and greenhouse gas accounting. 

Funded by: 

GreenEconomy.IN.NRW innovation competition (IN NRW Innovation Promotion Agency) 

Project Partners:

• HGoTECH GmbH (Bonn) 
• Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH (Cologne) 
• NUNOS GmbH (Hürth) 
• Christian Ehrensberger GmbH (Tennek, Austria)  
• Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences