Sustainable use of paper sludge from the Colombian paper industry

• Main Authors: Lesly Mayive Latorre Malaver, Mauricio Cote-Alarcon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIMS Press 2020-07-01
• Series: AIMS Environmental Science
• Subjects: paper mud; industrial waste; life cycle analysis; global warming potential (gwp); fertilizer; composting; carbon footprint
• Online Access: https://www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/environsci.2020017/fulltext.html

The paper industry is an important component in the Colombian economy, the need for the continuous use of paper and cardboard in different activities results in the generation of paper sludge, for this reason there is an imminent need to generate alternatives for the use of these industrial wastes. which have been on the rise in recent years.<br /> This study is divided into two stages, the first is the evaluation through experimental analysis of the demonstration of the effectiveness of paper mud as an important source of carbon in composting processes, the second is the life cycle analysis (LCA) of the Alternative replacement of Composting vs. Synthetic Fertilizers.<br /> The product obtained from the evaluation corresponds to a stabilized compost with chicken manure, which is an important source of Carbon, Nitrogen and Calcium Carbonate, resulting in an environmentally sustainable alternative compared to the use of synthetic fertilizers. In the future, an increase in the use of fertilizers is expected, due to the growth of the world population, which generates an expansion of food production and an imminent need to attend to it.<br /> The ALC provides a better understanding of the process and its environmental impacts, the results will allow us to conclude on the most appropriate management option by showing the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of compost. Organic fertilizers, unlike synthetic fertilizers, improve the fertility, texture and structure of the soil in the long term, promoting good drainage, aeration, water retention and root penetration, in addition to contributing to the stabilization of pH in acidic soils.<br /> The main challenges in integrating composting from paper sludge and chicken manure is to balance the C / N ratio, making a balance of the nutrient mixture and thus improving composting times, the loss of humidity, temperature gain, microbiological control and porosity.