Continued progress towards our waste target
Waste water treatment is an essential activity for our responsible water stewardship, however the process generates sludge from the biological water treatment which has historically ended up in landfill. Our SK Monterrey and SK Cerro Gordo paper mills in Mexico have developed initiatives to deliver better environmental outcomes for the sludge.
After investigating options at the Monterrey mill, composting was found to be a successful alternative, and the mill started to look for a suitable implementation method. The team from the Monterrey mill became familiar with a supplier for composting and checked that the operation had all the required permits. The development of the initiative lasted almost an entire year, after which, successful results paved the way for the implementation of the sludge being composted by the end of 2021. This not only facilitated the production of organic fertiliser, but also enabled the Monterrey mill to reach a 61% reduction of the waste sent to landfill.
Julio Rodriguez, General Manager of SK Monterrey comments: “This initiative has required a higher level of consciousness about the proper waste separation process, since it is imperative for the composting process that the sludge is received completely free of any other material.”
In parallel, our Cerro Gordo mill is currently implementing various improvement projects, focused not only on the production process but also on the water treatment plant. Prior to these projects, the productivity of a paper machine had been increasing for several years, reaching levels considerably higher than the original design. As the water treatment plant capacity was determined by the original conditions of the paper machine, the large increase in productivity was causing fibre spills that ended up in the treatment plant, where it was removed from the water by the press filter, resulting in the generation of sludge.
A complete reengineering of the process was completed, including the effluent of the treatment plant. With this new engineering solution, the spills of fibre were eliminated and, in the case a spill happens, it is sent back to the paper machine, instead of being sent to the treatment plant, considerably reducing the amount of sludge. Along with other improvements, there is a 28% reduction in waste.
"This initiative has required a higher level of consciousness about the proper waste separation process, since it is imperative for the composting process that the sludge is received completely free of any other material". Julio Rodriguez General Manager of SK Monterrey
Smurfit Kappa's aim is to contribute to a world without waste, supporting the concept of circularity. Learn more about our waste commitments.