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Pulp
and Paper
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Composting
paper mill waste:
Georgia's
pulp and paper mills generate nearly 300,000 tons
of solid waste every year, sending 70 percent
of it to landfills around the state. TIP researchers
developed a composting "recipe" that converts
mixed paper mill waste into a horticultural soil
amendment. The payback period for the initial
equipment cost is less than two years. Atkinson
County officials are using TIP's results to compost
pulp waste and chicken manure at its landfill.
The county hopes to create a consistent horticultural
product from the waste.
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Reducing odorous emissions from paper
mills:
Odor
reduction is becoming increasingly important to
communities located near kraft pulp mills. Current
technology to eliminate the odor generates another
waste stream that requires additional treatment.
TIP researchers at the Institute of Paper Science
and Technology found a low-cost way to use a kraft
mill by-product to reduce odorous emissions. What
makes this technology attractive to Georgia's
kraft mills is its use of an existing mill by-product,
green liquor dregs. Industry partners are running
mill-scale tests in FY2000. IPST plans to license
the technology to an equipment vendor for commercialization.
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Eliminating
diseases in Georgia's pine trees:
Georgia's
forestry industry faces increased competition from other
parts of the world where trees can be grown faster and
more efficiently. To improve the competitiveness of
Georgia's forests, TIP is advancing forest biotechnology
to increase productivity, improve wood quality, and
reduce crop loss caused by disease.
TIP
researchers are working with International Paper to
develop pine trees that are resistant to fusiform rust,
the most costly tree disease in the southeastern U.S.
Each year, fusiform rust causes crop losses of up to
$40 million across the region. This is the first known
attempt to create disease-resistant trees, and the TIP
team has already isolated 22 clones that likely play
a role in the disease.
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Reducing
freshwater usage by paper mills:
Reducing
water usage, especially at pulp and paper mills
in coastal or urban settings, continues to be
a priority for Georgia's industry. TIP research
has evaluated a number of recycling technologies
to conserve freshwater. In one project, TIP researchers
worked with three different mills to reduce and
reuse freshwater in their processes. The TIP team
from IPST and Valdosta State identified ways for
all three mills to save up to $42,000 per year
in freshwater costs and $27,000 in wastewater
treatment costs.
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Recycling
Sludge:
Disposal
of solid waste, or sludge, from the papermaking
process is the second-highest waste treatment
cost for Georgia's $9 billion pulp and paper industry.
TIP researchers developed a process that minimizes
landfill costs by converting sludge to energy
for use in the papermaking process. Industry partners
have conducted several successful pilot tests,
with estimated annual savings of up to $250,000
per mill. Ashbrook Corporations licensed this
technology from IPST and plans to commercialize
it after further research-and-development.
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World
class paper research:
TIP
supports several collaborative research projects
by the University System of Georgia and the Institute
of Paper Science and Technology (IPST). The largest
academic center for pulp and paper research in
the U.S., IPST conducts proprietary and non-proprietary
research for its 52 member companies and state
and federal governments. Ten of its member companies
have operations in Georgia. IPST has a faculty
of 32 and an annual research-and-development budget
of over $12 million.
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Georgia Southern's Center for Printability:
State
funds from TIP support the $800,000 Center for
Printability at Georgia Southern University. More
than 150 students have graduated from the University's
Printing Management program since 1994. Students
complete course work in the Center and, through
semester-long internships, assist printing companies
across the state. Every year, Georgia Southern
students find employment in Georgia's pulp and
paper and printing industries.
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