Calcium Carbonate
One of the process steps for recovering caustic soda, used for producing pulp, is caustification, in which virgin lime is added to green liquor, turning it into white liquor, which is returned to the process as caustic soda and generates a waste by-product, calcium carbonate.
This industrial waste has become a new product, registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) and licensed for trading as Soil Acidity Treatment.
In 2010, Irani joined the Terra Boa Program, from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Santa Catarina, with the purpose of distributing calcium carbonate to the state’s farmers in order to enable soil preservation and improvement through acidity treatments.
Yearly, 40,000 tons of this product are generated and forwarded to the three South Region states. The Calcários Trevo company, the process partner, is responsible for the product shipping and distribution, creating six job positions.
Besides creating a new value chain by means of a novel product, the project avoids the generation of environmental liabilities stemming from the disposal of waste in landfills, boosting the lifespan of industrial dumps, and, consequently, generating new jobs and revenue.
