GRI 306-4 Waste diverted from disposal
Waste management practices at Bracell follow circular economy principles and a hierarchical approach that prioritizes, first and foremost, reducing waste generation during production processes. Whenever possible, materials are reused internally, and when that is not feasible, we partner with third parties to recycle the waste, ensuring environmentally sound disposal. This approach supports our commitment to operational efficiency and sustainability across the entire value chain (see more under GRI 306-1 Waste generation and significant waste-related impacts).
The waste generated in our operations is handled responsibly, with a focus on recovery and landfill diversion whenever possible. Our disposal alternatives include recycling, energy recovery, reuse, composting, effluent treatment, and re-refining—a process that transforms used oil into a new, decontaminated product.
Starting in April 2024, wet biological sludge previously sent to landfills has been fully redirected to organic fertilizer production through composting. Primary sludge has also been used in the manufacturing of paper products, and calcitic waste has been fully redirected to agricultural soil amendments after audits confirmed compliance with legal and environmental requirements.
These initiatives, along with the approval of new suppliers to reuse waste in the production of agricultural inputs, led to a reduction in the volume of waste sent to landfills in our São Paulo operation. This progress supports our circular economy initiatives and the environmental goals set out in our Bracell 2030 roadmap.
Pulp waste diverted from disposal
| Classification | Category | Method of disposal (t) | Rehabilitation |
| Used or contaminated oil from engines, transmissions and lubrication | Hazardous waste | 158.17 | Re-refining |
| Packaging of any of the types described above containing or contaminated with hazardous substance residues | Hazardous waste | 57.76 | Recycling |
| Batteries and accumulators | Hazardous waste | 18.91 | Recycling |
| Oil-contaminated water from oil/water separators | Hazardous waste | 143.39 | Effluent treatment |
| Absorbents, filter materials, cleaning cloths, and protective clothing contaminated by hazardous substances | Hazardous waste | 240.92 | Co-processing |
| Out-of-use electronic products and their components | Hazardous waste | 1.96 | Recycling |
| Plastic packaging | Nonhazardous waste | 66.79 | Recycling |
| Used or unusable tires for other applications | Nonhazardous waste | 81.65 | Co-processing |
| Used or unusable tires for other applications | Nonhazardous waste | 196.2 | Recycling |
| Iron and steel (Class B according to Conama Resolution No. 307/02) | Nonhazardous waste | 1074.63 | Recycling |
| Biodegradable kitchen and canteen waste | Nonhazardous waste | 403.04 | Composting |
| Other fractions not specified earlier | Nonhazardous waste | 653.96 | Recycling |
| Other recyclable waste (Class B under Conama Resolution No. 307/02) | Nonhazardous waste | 114.22 | Recycling |
| Sludge from local effluent treatment | Nonhazardous waste | 54,452.21 | Composting |
| Fluorescent, sodium and mercury vapor, and mixed lamps | Hazardous waste | 0.23 | Sorting with storage |
| Furnace and refractory linings from non-metallurgical processes not covered in 16 11 05 | Nonhazardous waste | 320.55 | Recycling |
| Wood debarking waste and wood waste | Nonhazardous waste | 67,973.98 | Energy recovery |
| Lime sludge waste | Nonhazardous waste | 58,721.41 | Agricultural use |
| Wood | Nonhazardous waste | 124.12 | Recycling |
| Aluminum | Nonhazardous waste | 6.70 | Recycling |
| Copper, bronze and brass | Nonhazardous waste | 36.77 | Recycling |
| Other waste not specified earlier | Nonhazardous waste | 99.24 | Recycling |
| Mixed packaging | Nonhazardous waste | 7.44 | Recycling |
| Total waste diverted from disposal in our São Paulo mill operations | 184,954.25 | – | |
| Classification | Category | Method of disposal (t) | Rehabilitation |
| Petroleum products, solvents, and plastics | Hazardous waste | 0.71 | Recycling |
| Metals | Nonhazardous waste | 5.83 | Recycling |
| Total waste diverted from disposal in our São Paulo forestry operations | 6.54 | – | |
| Classification | Category | Method of disposal (t) | Rehabilitation |
| Used or contaminated lubricating oil | Hazardous waste | 26.32 | Re-refining |
| Lime mud | Nonhazardous waste | 4,934.93 | Preparation for reuse |
| Screening reject | Nonhazardous waste | 7,807.67 | Preparation for reuse |
| Primary sludge | Nonhazardous waste | 2,300.60 | Preparation for reuse |
| Sawdust | Nonhazardous waste | 28,633.58 | Preparation for reuse |
| Clean bark | Nonhazardous waste | 21,255.92 | Preparation for reuse |
| Paper | Nonhazardous waste | 139.86 | Recycling |
| Plastic | Nonhazardous waste | 51.98 | Recycling |
| Iron | Nonhazardous waste | 678.70 | Recycling |
| Metal | Nonhazardous waste | 21.03 | Recycling |
| Wood | Nonhazardous waste | 167.71 | Recycling |
| Glass | Nonhazardous waste | 6.15 | Recycling |
| Empty metal drums | Nonhazardous waste | 1.32 | Recycling |
| Fibrous organic waste | Nonhazardous waste | 543.22 | Preparation for reuse |
| Total waste diverted from disposal in our São Paulo mill operations | 66,568.99 | – | |
| Classification | Category | Method of disposal (t) | Rehabilitation |
| Oily sludge (separator box) | Hazardous waste | 1.00 | Preparation for reuse |
| Used or contaminated lubricating oil | Hazardous waste | 22.11 | Preparation for reuse |
| Tires | Nonhazardous waste | 25.13 | Preparation for reuse |
| Big bags | Nonhazardous waste | 36.18 | Recycling |
| Recyclables (paper, cardboard, glass, and plastic) | Nonhazardous waste | 38.01 | Recycling |
| Scrap metal | Nonhazardous waste | 50.81 | Recycling |
| Metal drums | Nonhazardous waste | 42.50 | Recycling |
| Pesticide containers | Nonhazardous waste | 42.50 | Reverse logistics |
| Total waste diverted from disposal in our Bahia forestry operations | 258.24 | – | |
Note: the waste volumes reported by Bracell’s forestry and mill operations in Bahia are the amounts disposed of during 2024, regardless of when they were generated. This may result in differences between the reported waste generation and waste disposal figures any given year.
Paper waste diverted from disposal
| Classification | Category | Method of disposal (t) | Rehabilitation |
| Other recyclable waste (Class B under Conama Resolution No. 307/02) | Nonhazardous waste | 355.70 | Recycling |
| Plastic packaging | Nonhazardous waste | 139.40 | Recycling |
| Total waste diverted from disposal in our Southeast paper operations | 495.10 | – | |
| Classification | Category | Method of disposal (t) | Rehabilitation |
| Electronic waste | Hazardous waste | 0.30 | Recycling |
| Used or contaminated oil from engines, transmissions and lubrication | Hazardous waste | 1.22 | Re-refining |
| Lubricants | Hazardous waste | 9.345 | Re-refining |
| Cardboard cores | Nonhazardous waste | 132.36 | Recycling |
| Cardboard | Nonhazardous waste | 78.12 | Recycling |
| Rejects | Nonhazardous waste | 136.049 | Recycling |
| Ferrous scrap | Nonhazardous waste | 124.62 | Recycling |
| Ash | Nonhazardous waste | 61.63 | Recycling |
| Plain film | Nonhazardous waste | 221.290 | Recycling |
| Printed film | Nonhazardous waste | 54.032 | Recycling |
| Towel scraps | Nonhazardous waste | 298.720 | Recycling |
| Diaper wrapping | Nonhazardous waste | 2.580 | Recycling |
| Pallets | Nonhazardous waste | 197.20 | Recycling |
| Cellulose powder | Nonhazardous waste | 39.420 | Recycling |
| Diaper strips | Nonhazardous waste | 230.372 | Recycling |
| Nonwoven fabric scraps (TNT) | Nonhazardous waste | 14.260 | Recycling |
| Total waste diverted from disposal in our Northeast paper manufacturing operations | 1601.518 | – | |