Pulp mill waste could find new use as fertilizer

Dec 14, 2023

Pulp mill waste heading for a landfill could have a second life as an organic fertilizer.

A University of Alberta research project suggested waste could help reduce the environmental impact of using conventional fertilizers while improving soil and tree growth.

A two-year study of a hybrid poplar tree plantation in northern Alberta showed that compared with using conventional fertilizers alone, adding wood and other fibers left over from pulp and paper production, reduced harmful greenhouse gas emissions from the soil.

Combining these biosolids and conventional fertilizer also improved soil fertility.

Scott Chang is the study’s lead author and a professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. He said the findings provide new insight into what effect biosolids could have if redirected for use on tree plantations that feed the forest industry.

Conventional fertilizer, containing industrially produced urea, has been shown to stimulate greenhouse gas emissions from soil. Though pulp mill biosolids are generally rich in organic content and low in toxicity, it wasn’t known how they might also have an effect.

Chang said the results of the study show the potential for developing a strategy to manage pulp mill waste.

“Repurposing biosolids as an organic fertilizer, which may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, could improve the sustainability of the pulp and paper industry,” Chang said.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.