Side streams generated in the Kotkamills production plant are recycled
In collaboration with Soilfood, Kotkamills has been able to recover fibre sludge nutrients, generated as a side stream in production, for use in farmland.
Soilfood Oy, which turns various industrial side streams into fertilisers and soil conditioners for agriculture, has saved over 29,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions last year through its operations. In collaboration with Soilfood, Kotkamills has been able to recover fibre sludge nutrients, generated as a side stream in production, for use in farmland. The forest, bioenergy and food industries, in particular, generate side streams that can be used in agriculture. The fibre sludge from Kotkamills Oy’s paper and board mill has been reclaimed for several years.
“It has been important for us to find a sustainable way to recycle the side streams from our production. In collaboration with Soilfood, we are able to direct the fibre sludge to farmland as a replacement for nitrogen and phosphorus. This benefits all parties because without the recycling of sludge, these nutrients would need to be produced with less ecological ways,” notes Environmental Manager Jani Heiskanen from Kotkamills.
The cooperation with Soilfood reduced carbon dioxide emissions last year by an amount equal to the carbon footprint of about 670 Finns. “It shows that, in the big picture, each side stream is significant,” Heiskanen says.
