Fibre to Fibre - A Case Study at Domtar, Cornwall, 2002 Environmental Conference Proceedings

G. Velema and P. Neave

Domtar Inc., at its Cornwall, Ontario pulp and paper mill, has developed a unique program for the handling of mill process residues. An about-turn from landfilling to recycling was accomplished through implementing a comprehensive land application program for the beneficial use of residuals including paper mill biosolids (PPMB) on land.

Positive results from agronomic research in using PPMB - dewatered effluent treatment residue - to improve agricultural soils and boost grain and forage production are now well established. The benefit of using PPMB in silviculture for the production of wood fibre has yet to be firmly established. Five years of data collected from operational plantations of short rotation tree species are now showing the benefit of using pulp and paper mill residues. The results show a good potential for the use of process residues, particularly PPMB, in a kind of closed loop recycling that returns wood-based residues to the forest to grow more wood fibre; from fibre back to fibre.