Phosphorus is an essential element for agriculture and a broad range of industrial and global food products [1]. It is primarily sourced from finite phosphate rock reserves, and its price has fluctuated considerably in recent decades [2]. Concomitantly, phosphate has been categorised as critical raw material by the European Union, emphasising the need for recovery from waste and wastewater within circular economy initiatives highlighted in the recent revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 3•, 4.

Traditionally, wastewater treatment has focused on nutrient removal, but the field is shifting towards resource recovery and recycling. In wastewaters, phosphorus is predominantly present as orthophosphates, and its removal is achieved through chemical precipitation or enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR), with the latter considered as a more sustainable approach [5]. Despite this, the integration of EBPR with phosphorus recovery remains uncommon in full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) globally. Phosphorus recovery from WWTPs holds significant potential to meet a substantial portion of the phosphorus demands for human activities 6, 7. This review explores the biorefinery approach for phosphorus removal and recovery and discusses three key areas: (1) understanding the microbiology that underpins EBPR, (2) highlighting promising methods to identify the physiological traits unique to microorganisms driving EBPR, and (3) evaluating the compatibility of target phosphorus recovery streams in WWTPs with EBPR applications.