ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN THE AGRO-BASED PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY IN INDIA – A HOLISTIC APPROACH

The agro-residue based pulp and paper industry generates high strength and high volume wastewaters, which in the absence of techno-economically viable chemical recovery systems and cost-effective pollution control systems pollute the recipient environment. The use of the “end of pipe” treatment approach results in a complex wastewater system and imposes a very high economic burden on these units. A more pertinent approach is to incorporate “at source” pollution prevention measures prior to the design of the end-of-pipe wastewater treatment facility. This cleaner production/waste minimisation approach not only results in direct financial returns in the form of material conservation and recovery/reuse of fibres but also reduces the overall investment and annual operational costs of the subsequent wastewater treatment system. Studies at four paper mills where appropriate technologies for waste reduction and handling, and energy conservation have been demonstrated and implemented, are presented. The paper highlights the various in plant measures viz. process modification and recovery/recycle/reuse of resources, which can be used to reduce the total pollution load. These measures lead to increases in profit margin of up to 20% and reduced wastewater treatment costs of up to 30%. To illustrate this approach, a case study in a 25 TPD mill has been discussed.