BalticReed project turned coastal overgrowth into environmental and business benefits
The BalticReed project shows that harvesting coastal reed can both reduce nutrient load from land to the Baltic Sea and create new business opportunities. Over three years, reed was removed from coastal areas in Finland, Åland and Sweden, while developing value chains that turn an environmental challenge into sustainable products and economic activity.
The BalticReed project has demonstrated that tackling coastal overgrowth can simultaneously improve the state of the Baltic Sea and create new sustainable business opportunities. During 2023–2026, the project harvested reed across Finland, Åland and Sweden, removing nutrients from eutrophicated coastal areas while promoting the development of a new bio-based value chain.
In total, reed was harvested at 27 sites covering approximately 270 hectares. In Finland alone, harvesting reached 197 hectares. Through this work, nutrients bound in reed beds – including phosphorus and nitrogen – were effectively removed from the coastal areas and recycled for use.
Removing nutrients and restoring coastal nature habitats
Reedbeds are an important part of coastal ecosystems. They maintain biodiversity, function as a filter between land and sea, and so prevent eutrophication.
However, the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea and the decline of coastal grazing have accelerated the growth of common reed excessively. Reed has displaced all other vegetation over large areas in numerous shallow bays, and many coastal areas have become overgrown.
A single hectare of dense reed can contain up to 10 kilograms of phosphorus and 100 kilograms of nitrogen. By harvesting and utilising this biomass, these nutrients can be prevented from returning to the water, making reed harvesting a concrete measure to improve water quality.
At the same time, opening up overgrown coastal areas helps restore biodiversity and revive traditional coastal landscapes. Carefully planned harvesting improves habitat diversity while maintaining important ecological values.
From reed to revenue
Beyond environmental benefits, BalticReed has focused on turning reed into a viable raw material for the bioeconomy to accelerate the blue economy. The project supported the development of 14 new reed-based products, ranging from growing media and soil improvement materials to construction materials, biocomposites and disposable items.
A key achievement of the project has been bringing together a wide network of actors to build functioning value chains. In total, 159 partners – including companies, researchers, authorities and local stakeholders – participated in developing solutions for harvesting, logistics and product innovation.
“BalticReed shows that reed is not waste, but a valuable resource. By combining nutrient removal with product development, we can create solutions that benefit both the Baltic Sea and the economy. The next step is to scale up these value chains and make reed utilisation a permanent part of coastal management,” says Sonja Jaari, Project Manager at the John Nurminen Foundation.
Building long-term impact through cooperation
The project has also produced practical tools to support future work, including guidelines for ecologically sustainable harvesting and recommendations to enable industrial-scale reed utilisation. In addition, events such as the Reed to Revenue fair have strengthened collaboration across sectors and increased the visibility of reed-based solutions.
Selected as an EU Strategic Project, BalticReed highlights how cross-border cooperation can deliver tangible environmental impact while advancing circular economy solutions. The project was funded by the EU’s Interreg Central Baltic Programme.
The project was led by John Nurminen Foundation and the project partners were The Economic Development Centre of Southwest Finland, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, the Government of Åland, the County Administrative Board of Östergötland and Race for the Baltic.
