Operations in São Paulo

• Effluents from our production process are monitored for compliance with the discharge standards issued by the Brazilian Environmental Council (Conama 430/2011), State Decree no. 8,468/1976 and other environmental regulators.
• To ensure compliance with applicable requirements, in our São Paulo operations we have classified recipient water bodies to ensure water discharges are within specifications under our discharge permits from the Department of Water and Electrical Energy (DAEE).
• Bracell is the first company in the pulp industry in São Paulo to implement three-stage effluent treatment: water is sourced from the Tietê River, from an intake located 22 km from our Lençóis Paulista (SP) mill, and is then returned into the same river.
• After it is used in the production process, wastewater flows through a three-stage treatment system. The first stage removes fibers, the second treats organic matter and the third filters the effluent before it returns to the Tietê River.
• Bracell is one of the only companies to use tertiary treatment. Approximately 95% of water withdrawals are returned to the Tietê River as treated effluent.

Operations in Bahia

• To ensure our water discharges meet quality requirements in our Bahia operations, we regularly monitor physical, chemical and biological parameters, including chemical oxygen demand (COD). This indicator is used to evaluate the performance of our wastewater treatment system, which comprises an on-site treatment plant at our Camaçari mill (settling or primary treatment) and another treatment plant operated by Cetrel, a company c0-located in the Camaçari Industrial Park that is responsible for secondary treatment (activated sludge) of Bracell’s effluents.
• Continuous monitoring of our industrial wastewater ensures our dissolving pulp production process is eco-efficient. We also use indirect methods to measure the quality of our chemical recovery system, loss of fibers from the mill process, and solid retention efficiency in the on-site primary treatment system.
• Our wastewater treatment system processes two primary wastewater streams:
  • a) Organic effluents: wastewater from the mill and stormwater system containing varying amounts of byproducts from the production process. This accounts for the bulk of the effluents generated at the mill. Organic effluents are pumped to the on-site primary treatment system and then to the Cetrel-operated secondary treatment system;
  • b) Inorganic effluents: also referred to as non-contaminated wastewater, this stream is generated by the site’s stormwater system and other non-contaminated sources, such as flush water from cooling towers and heat exchangers.
• Both streams are monitored in accordance with Inema Ordinance 16,507/2018. The specifications for water discharges depend on the recipient water body as outlined in the relevant federal regulations (Conama Resolution 357) and requirements issued by the state environmental authority, Inema.
• Effluents are collected and pumped to a wastewater treatment system comprising a preliminary treatment stage (screening and pH adjustment) and primary treatment (conventional settling and sludge removal).
  • This process mechanically removes settable solids—essentially cellulose fibers extracted in the form of primary sludge.
  • Following on-site treatment, the organic effluent is pumped to the Cetrel plant. Following secondary treatment, the treated effluent is discharged into the ocean via a submarine outfall.
• Effluents from seedling nurseries are monitored to avoid alterations in soil quality.
• Wastewater from the washing station at our workshop in Alagoinhas (BA) is monitored to avoid alterations in the quality of the recipient water body, the Fonte dos Padres River.