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Sustainable performance:
a crucial basis of support

Environmental responsibility

Effluents and waste

Waste management is one of the key aspects of International Paper’s global sustainability goals. Correct disposal is reflected in the reduced amount of waste sent to landfills and for composting and in the generation of energy.

The main waste generated by IP Latin America’s operations comes from industrial processes, including the sludge from liquid effluent treatment systems, ash from burning biomass, and eucalyptus chips from pulp and paper production. The Company has specific indicators for the generation and disposal of this type of waste and adopts a series of preventive measures.

In Brazil, only inert materials are disposed of in landfills. The Company has developed a project in association with CETESB (the São Paulo State Environmental Agency) to dispose of organic waste generated, which today is considered as a by-product and is used for composting, a process through which waste from pulp production—after treatment—is applied to the soil in the company’s eucalyptus forests as fertilizer. The goal is to use this waste generated for other types of planation also.

The Company has specific goals in regard to reducing the generation of liquid effluents, especially related to water quality, and it also monitors biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the mills.

Non-industrial waste from offices and restaurants is dealt with by service-providers under the Company’s supervision.

Awareness is raised among industrial and administrative personnel, who collaborate in the selective collection process, sorting the waste at the time of disposal. To reduce potential risks arising from waste management, companies that receive recyclable materials must present environmental certifications and permits and submit to audits by IP Latin America every six months in order to verify the final disposal of materials, as well as their practices and their current standing with the environmental agencies.

Effluent treatment
Effluents from the Mogi Guaçu and Luiz Antônio units are sent to IP’s treatment mills.

Total water discharge by quality and destination

[G4-EN22]

2013 Characteristics of effluent disposal Unit Mogi Guaçu Luiz Antônio Três Lagoas Total
Volume (m³/year) m³/year 20,536,879 21,654,403 5,398,643 47,589,925
COD kg/year 3,579,131 3,592,482 - 7,171,613
BOD kg/year 119,421 324,434 - 443,855
N kg/year 9,469 107,118 - 116,587
P kg/year 12,106 4,698 - 16,805

Previous years (2011 and 2012)

2011 Characteristics of effluent disposal Mogi Guaçu Luiz Antônio Três Lagoas Total
Volume (m³/year) 20,076,268 21,071,019 5,012,755 46,160,042
COD (kg/year) 3,382,851 3,731,230 193,492 7,307,573
BOD (kg/year) 97,108 353,224 - 450,331
N (kg/year) 26,726 176,739 - 203,465
P (kg/year) 13,736 16,573 - 30,309
2012 Characteristics of effluent disposal Mogi Guaçu Luiz Antônio Três Lagoas Total
Volume (m³/year) 20,895,840 22,010,689 5,358,834 48,265,363
COD (kg/year) 3,463,229 2,997,767 221,856 6,682,852
BOD (kg/year) 96,547 231,751 - 328,298
N (kg/year) 15,218 159,805 - 175,023
P (kg/year) 11,485 7,798 - 19,282

The Organization uses the activated sludge system to treat effluents.

Effluents from the production of seedlings at the Forestry Unit are also treated at the Mogi Guaçu unit. The water used by the Três Lagoas unit is sent to the pulp mill in the same industrial complex, which also treats the effluents with activated sludge.

LEGEND:

  • COD: Chemical Oxygen Demand
  • BOD: Biochemical Oxygen Demand
  • N: Nitrogen
  • P: Phosphorus

Total weight of waste by type and disposal method (in tons)

[G4-EN23]

Type of Waste Disposal Industry
TOTAL 2011 TOTAL 2012 TOTAL 2013
Hazardous Non-hazardous Hazardous Non-hazardous Hazardous Non-hazardous
Composting 0 96,088 0 83,337* 0 89,756
Re-use 0 80 0 1 0 7
Recycling 0 13,635 0 8,550* 0 6,478
Landfill 0 2,154 0 1,330 0 448
Others 14 0 225 0 116 0
Total 14 111,957 225 93,218 116 96,688

* The composting and recycling figures for 2012 were subsequently revised and consequently differ from those published in the 2012 Sustainability Report. There were changes to the composting and recycling numbers.

Type of Waste Disposal Forestry
TOTAL 2011 TOTAL 2012 TOTAL 2013
Hazardous Non-hazardous Hazardous Non-hazardous Hazardous Non-hazardous
Recycling 0 68.96 0 131 0 88.73
Recovery 6.77 0 6.5 0 12.9 0
Stored on site 0 0 50 0 12.5 0
Total 6.77 68.96 56.5 131 25.4 88.73

Does not include waste generated by the São Paulo office, which is collected by the office building. This information was obtained from the units' annual inventories of solid waste, invoices and collection certificates.

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