Smart sludge? Smart sludge!
It may not sound like much, but sludge can be good news. Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures (AITF), Alberta Newsprint Company, Millar Western and Slave Lake Pulp have just launched a website to publish the results of extensive research into the environmental safety and economic benefits of using sludge, a biomass byproduct of mechanical pulp manufacture, to enhance soil quality on farm and forest lands.
The result of 20 years of work and millions of dollars of investment by the pulp and paper consortium, the research found pulp sludge is beneficial for improving soil porosity and tilth, provides sustained nutrient supplies to plants, and can be safely used for agriculture or to enhance tree growth in marginal forest areas. More information about the studies conducted by the consortium can be found at the new “Smart Sludge” website.