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CREATING VALUE FROM WASTE
CREATING VALUE FROM WASTE
OSTARA Creating Value From Waste 1
WHY OSTARA?
“Ostara’s technology serves an important role in protecting our natural waterways for future generations. It provides a cost-effective solution that benefits the environment at all stages, and truly exhibits the shift that we are seeing towards closed-loop, sustainable technologies.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Environmental advocate and attorney; Partner, VantagePoint Capital Partners
Ostara’s nutrient recovery technology is more than just a solution to the issue of finite phosphorus resources. It offers an innovative and sustainable approach to managing the complex interdependencies between the environment, the global food supply and our collective stewardship of the planet’s water resources.
“Phosphorus has become one of the most significant sustainability issues of our time.”
Scientific American
Bright green algae blooms caused by an excess of nutrients starve waterways of oxygen, killing aquatic life.
OSTARA Creating Value From Waste 3
TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONPhosPhorus is necessary for the creation of all living cells
For hundreds of millions of years, natural geologic processes and plant and animal life cycles have kept the earth’s phosphorus cycle in balance. However, over the past century, as the world’s population swelled from under 2 billion to nearly 7 billion, consumption of this non-renewable resource has exploded to keep pace with global food needs. As we head towards the 9 billion mark later this century, how we manage this essential nutrient will have a direct impact on global water resources and our ability to feed the planet.
85% of the phosphorus that enters a treatment plant originates from households; 15% from industrial sources.
Ostara’s Pearl Process removes up to 90% of phosphorus and 20% of ammonia from treated wastewater.
Crystal Green’s release cycle can last up to 12 months.
The use of 1 tonne of Crystal Green eliminates approximately 10 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.
Recovering One Precious Resource to Protect AnotherOstara’s innovative recovery technology is an economic and environmental solution to global nutrient issues.
THE OSTARASOLUTION
PHOSPHORUS SOURCE
WastewaterWastewater streams from municipal and industrial treatment facilities, rich in phosphorus and ammonia, provide essential nutrient streams for Ostara’s recovery technology.
FERTILIZER PRODUCTION
Pearl® ProcessRather than view sewage as waste, Ostara’s Pearl Process transforms wastewater streams into a renewable resource, creating a planet-friendly fertilizer and saving millions in plant maintenance costs.
AGRICULTURE
Crystal Green®
Crystal Green is the world’s first fertilizer made from a local, renewable resource. Suitable in horticultural, turf and agriculture, its slow-release formulation results in considerably less nutrient leaching and runoff.
FOOD CONSUMPTION
Population GrowthOstara’s recovery technology is the ideal solution for growing urban areas where nutrient discharge limits become a challenge to meet in the face of rising volumes of wastewater and associated costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
SustainabilityBy reclaiming the nutrients in their municipal, industrial and livestock wastewaters, most countries could actually become phosphorus-independent – and protect water resources from these otherwise polluting nutrients.
9 billion people will inhabit the planet by 2050.
A Food-Water-Resource Balancing ActA growing and more affluent population will place greater demands on the resources needed for food production – and greater burdens on the global environment.
THE PROCESS TODAY
80% of the more than 160 million tonnes of phosphate mined each year goes into fertilizer production.
On average, just 15% of phosphorus in fertilizer is taken up by the plant in the year it is applied.
Three million tonnes of phosphorus are discharged annually via human waste, worldwide.
Over 400 oceanic dead zones exist around the world.
PHOSPHORUS SOURCE
MiningWhether “peak phosphorus” occurs in 50 years or in 250 years, this essential nutrient will continue to be pressured by restricted supplies and burgeoning worldwide demand.
FERTILIZER PRODUCTION
IndustrialWhen phosphate rock is processed to produce fertilizer, up to 60% is lost in the production process. Managing the by-products of processing is costly and a potential environmental threat.
AGRICULTURE
Food ProductionMost phosphorus-based fertilizers in use today are highly soluble which means that instead of being taken up by crops, a significant amount of the nutrient leaches or runs off into adjacent waterways.
FOOD CONSUMPTION
Population GrowthA growing, more affluent and increasingly urban population will likely result in a rise in phosphorus-intensive meat and dairy diets, increasing flows of the nutrient into wastewater facilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Dead ZonesOnce in local waterways, phosphorus eventually finds its way to coastal regions creating dead zones that destroy aquatic life, upset fisheries and threaten the water supply.
80% of the phosphate mined for food production never reaches our plate.
80%
FERTILIZERPRODUCTIONINDUSTRIAL
2 AGRICULTUREFOOD PRODUCTION3 FOOD
CONSUMPTIONPOPULATION GROWTH
4 ENVIRONMENTALIMPACTDEAD ZONES
5PHOSPHORUSSOURCEMINING
1
Ostara’s “closed loop” approach reduces nutrient loads in waterways.
FERTILIZERPRODUCTIONPEARL® PROCESS
AGRICULTURECRYSTAL GREEN®
FOOD CONSUMPTIONPOPULATION GROWTH
ENVIRONMENTALIMPACTSUSTAINABILITY
PHOSPHORUS SOURCEWASTEWATER
2 3 4 51
DisusedPhosphorus
Leaching & Runoff
Point Source Pollution
Non-RenewableResource
Cleaner Effluent
Reduced Leaching & Runoff
ReducedPollution
85% of the phosphorus that enters a treatment plant originates from households; 15% from industrial sources.
Ostara’s Pearl Process removes up to 90% of phosphorus and 20% of ammonia from treated wastewater.
Crystal Green’s release cycle can last up to 12 months.
The use of 1 tonne of Crystal Green eliminates approximately 10 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.
Recovering One Precious Resource to Protect AnotherOstara’s innovative recovery technology is an economic and environmental solution to global nutrient issues.
THE OSTARASOLUTION
PHOSPHORUS SOURCE
WastewaterWastewater streams from municipal and industrial treatment facilities, rich in phosphorus and ammonia, provide essential nutrient streams for Ostara’s recovery technology.
FERTILIZER PRODUCTION
Pearl® ProcessRather than view sewage as waste, Ostara’s Pearl Process transforms wastewater streams into a renewable resource, creating a planet-friendly fertilizer and saving millions in plant maintenance costs.
AGRICULTURE
Crystal Green®
Crystal Green is the world’s first fertilizer made from a local, renewable resource. Suitable in horticultural, turf and agriculture, its slow-release formulation results in considerably less nutrient leaching and runoff.
FOOD CONSUMPTION
Population GrowthOstara’s recovery technology is the ideal solution for growing urban areas where nutrient discharge limits become a challenge to meet in the face of rising volumes of wastewater and associated costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
SustainabilityBy reclaiming the nutrients in their municipal, industrial and livestock wastewaters, most countries could actually become phosphorus-independent – and protect water resources from these otherwise polluting nutrients.
9 billion people will inhabit the planet by 2050.
A Food-Water-Resource Balancing ActA growing and more affluent population will place greater demands on the resources needed for food production – and greater burdens on the global environment.
THE PROCESS TODAY
80% of the more than 160 million tonnes of phosphate mined each year goes into fertilizer production.
On average, just 15% of phosphorus in fertilizer is taken up by the plant in the year it is applied.
Three million tonnes of phosphorus are discharged annually via human waste, worldwide.
Over 400 oceanic dead zones exist around the world.
PHOSPHORUS SOURCE
MiningWhether “peak phosphorus” occurs in 50 years or in 250 years, this essential nutrient will continue to be pressured by restricted supplies and burgeoning worldwide demand.
FERTILIZER PRODUCTION
IndustrialWhen phosphate rock is processed to produce fertilizer, up to 60% is lost in the production process. Managing the by-products of processing is costly and a potential environmental threat.
AGRICULTURE
Food ProductionMost phosphorus-based fertilizers in use today are highly soluble which means that instead of being taken up by crops, a significant amount of the nutrient leaches or runs off into adjacent waterways.
FOOD CONSUMPTION
Population GrowthA growing, more affluent and increasingly urban population will likely result in a rise in phosphorus-intensive meat and dairy diets, increasing flows of the nutrient into wastewater facilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Dead ZonesOnce in local waterways, phosphorus eventually finds its way to coastal regions creating dead zones that destroy aquatic life, upset fisheries and threaten the water supply.
80% of the phosphate mined for food production never reaches our plate.
80%
FERTILIZERPRODUCTIONINDUSTRIAL
2 AGRICULTUREFOOD PRODUCTION3 FOOD
CONSUMPTIONPOPULATION GROWTH
4 ENVIRONMENTALIMPACTDEAD ZONES
5PHOSPHORUSSOURCEMINING
1
Ostara’s “closed loop” approach reduces nutrient loads in waterways.
FERTILIZERPRODUCTIONPEARL® PROCESS
AGRICULTURECRYSTAL GREEN®
FOOD CONSUMPTIONPOPULATION GROWTH
ENVIRONMENTALIMPACTSUSTAINABILITY
PHOSPHORUS SOURCEWASTEWATER
2 3 4 51
DisusedPhosphorus
Leaching & Runoff
Point Source Pollution
Non-RenewableResource
Cleaner Effluent
Reduced Leaching & Runoff
ReducedPollution
TREATEDCENTRATEEFFLUENT
RECYCLELINE
CENTRATEINFLUENT
CRYSTAL GREENFERTILIZER
CHEMICALDOSING
Ostara’s Pearl Nutrient Recovery Process offers a scalable, closed-loop solution to wastewater treatment. The process harvests up to 90% of phosphorus and 20% of nitrogen from treated wastewater and transforms them into a premium, slow-release fertilizer called Crystal Green®.
Ostara’s proprietary technology is increasingly being adopted by municipal and industrial partners seeking solutions to address environmental concerns and economic challenges. The Pearl Process prevents potentially polluting nutrients from finding their way into sensitive watersheds by extracting them for further processing. This eliminates phosphorus build-up in pipes, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in maintenance costs. And it produces an environmentally friendly fertilizer that provides a revenue stream to further offset capital costs – in most cases, all costs are recouped within 5 to 7 years.
THE PEARL® PROCESS
A Sustainable, Closed-Loop Wastewater Treatment Solution
Once solids are separated out at the initial stages of treatment, the nutrient-rich liquid is mixed with magnesium and fed into the Pearl reactor to be transformed into Crystal Green fertilizer prills. Any unused liquid is recycled back to the plant for further processing.
OSTARA Creating Value From Waste 11
“The unique public-private partnership with Ostara offers new and innovative technology to help us fulfill Pennsylvania’s commitment to the Chesapeake Bay Strategy, significantly reduce nutrient loadings and economically meet discharge parameters.”
JT Hand, Chairman, York City Sewer Authority, York, PA
CRYSTAL GREEN® FERTILIZER
The Most Environmentally Responsible Source of Phosphorus Fertilizer Available Today
5-28-0 +10% Mg
• A unique combination of slow-release nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium.
• Environmentally friendly source of phosphorus.
• Cost effective: one application per growing season.
• Proven effective for turf, horticulture, agriculture and specialty agriculture.
Crystal Green is harvested entirely from a renewable source: wastewater. At 99.9% purity, it is cleaner than commercially available phosphorus obtained from mined sources.
The fertilizer’s superior performance results in a greener, denser, healthier canopy and stronger root development compared to other forms of phosphorus fertilizer. Its slow-release formulation is key to these results. A single application of Crystal Green can replace the multiple applications required by traditional fertilizers over the course of a growing season, saving time and money. And since uptake by plants is on an as-needed basis, plant nutrient leaching and soil runoff is significantly reduced, minimizing environmental impact on sensitive waterways.
Crystal Green pellets, or “prills,” are made from a crystalline compound. The granular particles are dust-free, 99.9% pure, and have up to a 12-month release cycle. The prills are supplied in 100, 150, and 240 SGN (size grade number).
OSTARA Creating Value From Waste 13
“ This is the cleanest fertilizer we have ever worked with.”
Greg Wilson, Ministry of Natural Resource Operations, British Columbia
INSPIRATION MEETS INGENUITYThe men and women who work at Ostara are inspired by a shared goal: to solve the economic challenges and environmental impact that come with managing finite and precious resources.
Drawing on expertise from agronomy to engineering, chemistry to finance, and technology to sales & marketing, Ostara’s solutions for the wastewater and fertilizer industries are as significant as they are innovative.
OSTARA Creating Value From Waste 15
“An organization is only as strong and competitive as its people. Ostara’s success is due in large part to an exceptional team relentless in its pursuit of the best solutions.”
F. Phillip Abrary, Ostara President & CEO
Ostara has received numerous awards and honours for its innovation and leadership in the development and commercialization of its nutrient recovery technology. Among them:
• World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2011
• Global Cleantech Top 100 2009, 2010
• Globe Foundation Environmental Technology & Application 2011
• Artemis Top 50 2010, 2011
“Instead of pushing a guilt-driven agenda of minimizing liabilities and damage to the environment, we celebrate the continuous cycling of safe assets and abundance. Ostara’s Crystal Green is created in this spirit of abundance.”
William McDonough, architect, author, Time Magazine “Hero for the Planet”
Recognized for Innovation
OSTARA Creating Value From Waste 17
690 –1199 West Pender Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 2R1 Canada
ostara.com
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