Asian regional research programme on environmental technology minor issue: Survey on sludge management practices in the Philippines

• Main Author: Pabayo, Victor De Guzman
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2004
• Subjects: Sewage sludge—Conditioning—Philippines; Sewage sludge—Drying—Philippines; Sewage sludge—Thickening—Philippines; Environmental Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6844
• Institution: De La Salle University

This research project is a product of the collaboration between ARRPET-DLSU and recycled paper mills that responded in the survey. This is in line with ARRPET’s project on “Alternative Sludge Management for the Pulp and Paper Mill in the Philippines”. A survey was made by sending survey questionnaires to all pulp and paper mills operating in the country based on DTI’s list of registered companies. Plant visits and interviews were also conducted to gather information of the pulp and paper industry. The data from the survey will be beneficial for the development of appropriate treatment technology waste management strategies for the pulp and paper industries that will benefit not only our country but also the other Asian countries with similar problems. There are eleven (11) respondents to the survey, mostly recycled paper mill except for one mill that uses abaca for pulp production. From the survey, it was found out that large percentage of the recycling paper mills rely on imported waste papers. Only one pulp mill operates using locally available abaca for pulp production. Recycled paper mill utilize a wide variety of waste paper like office papers, coated and sorted white ledger, old corrugated carton boxes, old newspaper, coated broke, hard white and soft white shavings, used papers from printing press and converters for paper production. Most of these mills produce paper products for local consumption and one mill is exporting some of their products. The survey also reveals that the amount of sludge produced from individual mill ranges from 1 – 500 metric tons per day. Five mills (5) generate sludge less than 50 metric tons per day, three (3) of these mills produced sludge with a capacity between 50 metric tons to 100 metric tons per day and three (3) of these mills produced sludge with a capacity between 100 metric to 500 metric tons per day. No mill is producing greater than 500 MT per day of sludge. All mills that responded in the survey have sludge management program like treatment, disposal & reuse/recycle. Sludge was pretreated in order to stabilize it prior to disposal or conversion. Sludge dewatering, thickening and sludge drying are carried out in pulp and paper mills surveyed. Chemicals are used for conditioning of sludge that is difficult to dewater. In this survey, show that different the pulp and paper mill is practicing sludge management. Dewatering follow by landfilling is still the predominant practices.