Functional Recycling of Biobased, Borate-Stabilized Insulation Materials As B Fertilizer.

Boron is a finite resource, which has been listed as a critical raw material in the EU since 2014. Glass, frits and ceramics production, as well as fertilizers are among the major uses of B. Moreover, about 50 000 t B have been applied as fire retardant and pest repellent in cellulose fiber insulation (CFI) in Europe since the 1980s. Here we propose the end-of-life utilization of borated CFI as B fertilizer, to decrease societal B consumption and to avoid costly and potentially environmentally harmful CFI incineration and deposition in landfills. In a case study, we show that CFI biochar can provide substantial amounts of B to rapeseed and sunflower, with the B plant-availability being comparable to sodium tetraborate, a conventional B fertilizer. The annual B fertilizer consumption of the EU is estimated at ∼4000 t B yr