Biosolids Market

Biosolids Market Growth Outlook (2023 to 2033)

The global biosolids market is valued to be US$ 1.7 billion in 2023 and it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% to reach US$ 2.7 billion by the end of 2033.

Biosolids are produced when domestic sewage is treated in a wastewater treatment facility (i.e., treated sewage sludge). It is a nutrient-rich organic material. Biosolids are a useful resource that is recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendments as it contains vital organic matter and plant nutrients.

Report Attributes	Details
Biosolids Market Size (2022A)	US$ 1.6 Billion
Estimated Market Value (2023E)	US$ 1.7 Billion
Forecasted Market Value (2033F)	US$ 2.7 Billion
Global Market Growth Rate (2023-2033)	4.6% CAGR
North America Market Share (2023)	25.0%
U.S. Market Growth Rate (2023-2033)	4.3% CAGR
Key Companies Profiled	Agrivert Ltd BCR Environmental Cambi Group AS Cleanaway FCC Group Syngeta Sumitomo Corporation Terrapure Environmental

Historic and Future Pathway Analysis for the Biosolids Market

It is estimated that worldwide more than 80% of wastewater is being discharged into the environment without any treatment. In developing nations, this amount is more as compared to the global average which is near about 90%, which is creating water scarcity across various parts of the globe by polluting natural water sources.

Biosolids or sludge remains a major challenge to dispose of post-water treatment. However, biosolids are organic material that provides nutrients that are utilized as manure in agricultural land. On the back of this, the biosolids market is witnessing a positive growth.

Currently, a large share of biosolids is consumed for agricultural purposes. Along with the widespread use of biosolids in agriculture, it has applications in fertilizers, forestry, land reclamation, construction materials, and energy generation to provide lucrative opportunities for biosolids in the upcoming years.

• Short Term (2023-2026): Wastewater treatment to provide tons of biosolids and to overcome biosolids disposal problem new application to knit the biosolids consumption growth pathway.
• Medium Term (2026-2029): China, the United States, and India are prominent economies with thriving agriculture industries which creates a high demand for the biosolids market.
• Long Term (2029-2033): Market players are adopting numerous ground-breaking strategies to remain competitive in the market. Pricing and trade relations are anticipated to drive the market in the long run.

On the back of theaforementioned facts, the biosolids market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period from 2023-2033, According to the Fact.MR, a market research and competitive intelligence provider.

Market Dynamics Overview

“Mounting Demand for Biosolids in Agriculture Industry”

Organic material which is collected from the wastewater treatment process is known as biosolids. As a result of their high nutritional content, which contains both macro- and micronutrients, biosolids have vast applications in the agriculture industry as fertilizers, soil conditioners, or soil replacement materials. Additionally, biosolids have a low chemical impact on agriculture and the environment hence, gaining traction over fertilizers.

Biosolids have a number of benefits, such as a decrease in the need for synthetic fertilizers, increased water-holding capacity, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, and an improvement in soil structure. Along with this, they also play an important role in the treatment and reclamation of old mining sites, since they can help in the development of plants and enhance mined soil. All of these aforementioned factors are anticipated to drive the market in the upcoming period.

“Growing Government Regulations to Boost Growth Opportunities”

Stringent regulations are being implemented on the use of chemical fertilizers for plants. As it adversely affects the environment and is banned by various economies such as USA, UK, and others. Biosolid is a suitable alternative for such fertilizers. As a result, such factors fuel the biosolids demand during the forecast period.

Almost 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions come from the building and construction industry according to the UN Environment Program. Thus, the usage of biosolids in the building industry is being extensively looked upon closely in order to prevent this issue. In order to minimize the pollution by carbon emissions, biosolids are being examined for possible integration with bricks.

“High Cost Associated with Sludge Treatment Plants is Likely to Hamper the Market Growth”

Municipal sludge is produced as a byproduct of wastewater treatment. It often consists of a mixture of water bound to organic matter from food waste particles, human waste, microbes, inorganic solids, and trace chemicals.

Sludge is frequently referred to as biosolids after any type of treatment, it is indicating that sludge treatment transforms sludge into biosolids. Biosolids are typically applied to land, burned, or dumped. At wastewater treatment facilities, it is important to reduce volume and engage in actions that reduce the cost of sludge treatment.

Sludge treatment frequently accounts for up to 50% of the facility's operational costs, despite the fact that it typically only marks up 0.3-0.4% of the wastewater flow that a treatment plant takes. Hence, the high cost associated with sludge treatment hampers the biosolids market growth.

Country-wise Insights

What are the Factors Driving Biosolids Demand Across the US?

The United States continued to be one of the major markets for biosolids due to support from the government and the consumer preference for eco-friendly solutions to enhance agricultural output. In order to comply with US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations, biosolids are frequently used.

A significant amount of the nation's biosolid production is used to improve soils. In order to improve and maintain healthy soil and promote plant growth, biosolids are recycled or used as fertilizers in the USA. Sewage sludge is processed and used as a valuable fertilizer across the nation, rather than taking up space in a landfill or other disposal locations.

• For instance, there are approximately 4.5 million metric tons (MMT) of treated sewage sludge or biosolids generated around the united states in 2021 among of that around 1.15 MMT is applied to agricultural land and 1.9 MMT is landfilled.

All of these above-mentioned factors are anticipated to drive the biosolids market across the U.S. during the forecast period.

Why China’s Biosolids Market is Flourishing?

China's 10,113 water treatment facilities handle wastewater for 95% of towns and 30% of rural areas as of January 2021. Along with this, 39,000 new facilities for wastewater treatment were built in 2021. Furthermore, it is anticipated that China's sludge volume will increase to 90 million tons by 2025.

Sludge production per person grew along with regional urbanization and GDP growth rates around the country. Also, the spatial and temporal patterns of sludge treatment/disposal options were examined. In addition, East China was responsible for 31.3% of the GHG emissions from sludge disposal.

As per the data, it is estimated that China is likely to produce a huge volume of biosolids that than be used for treating old mine sites to gain fertility and enhance agricultural output.

Category-wise Insights

Which Biosolid Type is Commonly Used?

Regulations have considerably divided biosolids into two classes: class A and class B. Class A type is used in applications where public contact is anticipated and can employ pathogen-free materials. Class A conforms with laws and regulations, such as those issued by the European Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Contrarily, Class B is used in agricultural and land reclamation applications due to its low pathogen content. Consumers are moving from class B to class A due to infections, bad odors, and a high attraction of vectors. Also, as more people become aware of the use of biosolids as a financially advantageous substitute for seized fertilizers the market is expected to grow in the upcoming period.

Furthermore, consumers have started preferring Class A type products owing to their lower environmental harm. According to the aforementioned factors, it is predicted that class A type would make up more than half of total biosolid sales by the end of the projection period and increase at a moderate CAGR.

Why Demand for Biosolids is Growing in Agriculture Industry?

The biosolids help in enhancing the fertility of forest land, rangelands, and scattered farmland, among others that need to be reclaimed. Biosolids are used as soil conditioners and fertilizers for the cultivation of edible crops. Generally, biosolids are spread across the field and mixed with the soil using common agricultural machinery. Also, it is used in the cultivation of animal feed crops.

The agricultural industry makes up the majority of biosolid usage in terms of consumption. Population growth is expected to increase demand for higher agricultural outputs in North America and Asia Pacific, which could further increase the usage of biosolids in the agricultural sector, to naturally store the quality of fertile soil.

Due to the aforementioned factors, it is anticipated that the agricultural application to continue to dominate the consumption of biosolids, and drives market’s growth.

Eminent Player’s Key Stratagems

Eminent biosolids manufacturers are Cambi Group AS, Casella Waste Systems, Inc., Cleanaway, FCC Group, Lystek, International, Merrell Bros., Inc., Syngenta, Synagro Technologies, and Sumitomo Corporation.

The market for biosolids is highly fragmented. Players are significantly investing in research and development to improve the quality of biosolids to meet the end-user’s requirements. Prominent market players contribute around 30-32% of the global market value. Investment in research & development of innovative formulations and techniques to increase the use of biosolids in various end-use verticals.

Other than this, players are adopting groundbreaking strategies such as establishing joint ventures with local research institutes for inventing new cost-effective production techniques.

• For instance, in July 2022, Phoenixville and its co-partner SoMax BioEnergy launches a big innovation for the beneficial use of biosolids. Their joint venture tests a new hydrothermal carbonization conversion technology to bypass digestion and turn biosolids into energy-dense hydro-char fuel.

Fact.MR has provided detailed information about the price points of key manufacturers of biosolids positioned across regions, sales growth, production capacity, and speculative technological expansion, in the recently published report.

Segmentation of Biosolids Industry Research

• By Form :

  • Cakes
  • Liquid
  • Pellets

• By Product Type :

  • Class A
  • Class B

• By Application :

  • Agricultural
    • Fertilizers/Soil Conditioners for Human Crop Production
    • Fertilizers for Animal Crop Production - Pastures
  • Non-agricultural
    • Forest Crops (Land Restoration and Forestry)
    • Land Reclamation (Roads and Urban Wetlands)
    • Reclaiming Mining Sites
    • Landscaping, Recreational Fields, and Domestic Use
    • Energy Recovery & Production
  • Heat Generation, Incineration, and Gasification
    • Oil and Cement Production
    • Commercial Uses

• By Region :

  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Europe
  • East Asia
  • South Asia & Oceania
  • MEA