Biosolids

 Water from the St. Mary’s River is an integral part of the papermaking process. To protect this resource, all process water is treated by an on-site secondary wastewater treatment plant before it is discharged. The solids removed from the wastewater during treatment are called biosolids.

Biosolids are comprised of paper fibers, ash, clay and microbes introduced during wastewater treatment to degrade the waste material in the water.

Thanks to the ground wood pulping process used at St. Marys Paper, the biosolids are not contaminated with caustic additives associated with chemical pulping.

St. Marys produces approximately 40 dry tonnes of biosolids per day. For the past twelve years, all of this material has been diverted from the landfill and beneficially reused by local municipalities. The material has been effectively used as a topsoil alternative at land reclamation sites including closed landfills and abandoned mines.

Through research and environmental innovation, St. Marys is working toward their goal of generating a marketable by-product from their biosolids products.

To find out more about St Marys Paper’s biosolids research initiative, Click Here