BACKGROUND

One of the big problems facing banana producing countries is getting rid of organic wastes coming from the production, sorting, packing and export of this fruit. Costa Rica is the world’s number two banana producer and therefore, one of their biggest problems is getting rid of the rachis or stems, (from the banana bunch) which involves significant costs, both environmental and financial.

The Celulosa y Papeles del Caribe S.A. (CPC or Caribbean Cellulose & Paper) company is located on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica, where there were problems caused both by large banana and cattle plantations and ranches as well as by tiny, non-profitable agricultural plots.

At this time, a significant lack of jobs and low salaries are causing periodic migrations both within and outside this area. In addition to this, a high percentage of farmers have sold their land because according to their perception, a farm cannot produce enough to support their families. 

The local perception of the project is very optimistic according to surveys made, because it represents a new source of employment, especially when it is realized that banana plantations have had to lay off personnel due to the low price of this fruit on the international market.  Thus, the creation of an alternative source such as the pulp and paper project has a direct potential for employing more than 250 persons, who can then remain in the area without having to abandon their property and families.

The company will be creating 250 jobs at two independent plants, one for cellulose production and recycling and the other for paper manufacturing.  An effort has been made so that facilities will have the features required for later implementation of ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 standards.

Human resources are an important factor for the production system due to the fact that they are manufacturing products by using technology that is different from traditional methods. Therefore, Celulosa y Papeles del Caribe S.A. (CPC) is seeking a balance between qualified outside labor and local labor in the training process.

With this project, CPC is not merely proposing to act on the environmental and financial cost of the rachis or stems but also to make it into a profitable and sustainable source of exchange through the production of pulp and paper.  For this purpose, the company is patenting a process that resulted from research started 15 years ago at the University of Costa Rica.

The paper sector has traditionally used trees for the production of cellulose.  Because of the radically innovative focus the company has, banana stems are used in producing the cellulose that serves for paper production.  Kenaf is a plant that is a native to Persia which has been extensively researched for adapting its different varieties to the climate and features of the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica.

Natural resources are becoming scarcer by the day and treatment and final disposal of wastes is also becoming more costly every day.  Therefore, the trend on a worldwide basis is to encourage re-use and recycling of wastes.  In Costa Rica, close to 12% of the total production of wastes involves paper and paper byproducts.  This project includes the utilization of recycled paper as a raw material which combined with the kenaf and banana virgin fibers processed by the company, can provide number one quality paper for the export market.

The emphasis in production will not only be on quality but on the environmental issue of the struggle against climate change and other environmental problems such as:

a)   Prevention of  de-forestation and preserve the CO₂ absorption.

b)   Cardboard used as a raw material for the manufacture of boxes for export of agricultural products from the Atlantic port can be obtained in the same area, therefore saving fuel and reducing CO₂ emissions by cutting transportation distances.

c)   Kenaf is a fast growing plant that has a high CO₂ absorption potential for transforming it into oxygen, and it will also be planted on lands that would have, otherwise, been used for banana growing or pastures, causing basically no land use change.

d)   Reduces the use of chlorine compounds for bleaching, replaceding it by their own environmentally correct technology.

e)   Use of bacteria in the lignin elimination process therefore,  replacing chemical processes that are enviromentally in correct.

f)    A less absorbent final product, which will mean a substantial cut in ink use in the printing process.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPANY POLICY

This global focus involves the utilization of bleaching processes that avoid the use of chlorine compounds, re-use and filtering of process water for recovery and maximum use of the fibers introduced into the process, minimizing the use of chemicals to obtain the required finishes on paper, streamlining fuel use and the incorporation of industrial safety and hygiene practices adjusted to the conditions and features of the plant.

Alternative Fibers

1. Stems

Agreements have been reached with nearby banana producers for collecting stems or rachis within an active radius of 20 kilometers.  Proper equipment was designed by CPC for cutting and removing fiber from these stems so that the resulting fibers will have the proper length and specifications for achieving consistent cellulose quality.

2. Kenaf

Research was done on 14 varieties of kenaf as a part of the process, of which two were adapted to the needs of the company and region.  Some of the features which make this plant appropriate for paper production include:Long fiber

• One hundred fifty day growing cycle
• Good response to single crop growing
• Resistant to existing plant deseases in the area, with the exception of light nematode infections.
• Socially appropriate for grouth by small formurs.

Kenaf, with its short growth cycle, has an average yield of 14 tons of clean fiber per hectare, which with two harvests per year is equal to a production of 4,200 tons of fiber per hectare. This production per hectare has competitive advantages both in volume and cash flow with tree fiber plantations (pine, eucalyptus). It is also more advantageous financially to plant kenaf, since, instead of waiting fifteen years or more to be able to turn a profit from the harvest, it is going to have net positive income starting after five months.

Within its goals, the project includes creating a second source of income for small farmers by planting their farms with kenaf, and it will also have a tremendous social and economic impact by providing these farmers with training so they can be hired as specialized industrial workers.  Another goal of the project is to take advantage of its paper rejects for encouraging a women’s cooperative for making handicraft items out of paper.  Improvements are also being made in the area’s infrastructure such as expansion of health clinics and highways.

OUTLOOK

Possibly the simplest way to focus at the growth potential perspective of the paper industry, worldwide, is to use projections from TAPPI (Trade Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry), according to which world paper consumption will double between 1998 and 2005, and will keep on doubling over seven year cycles.

Celulosa y Papeles del Caribe S.A. is the first environmentally friendly pulp and paper processing plant in Central America that is aware of the danger of the effects of climate change, and its goal is to become the largest and most progressive alternative for pulp and paper production in Latin America by licencing its technology.

By the year 2001 the company is expected to be producing paper from a combination of banana, kenaf,  and recycled paper with a daily production of 70 metric tons in the first stage. By the year 2003, daily production will be increased to 250 tons.  The project is currently at an 80% progress stage. CPC is interested in expanding its technology (it may also become associated with investors) by setting up other plants in Latin America, especially in southern Mexico.  In projections and studies that have been made, profitability for Celulosa y Papeles del Caribe S.A. shows an internal rate of return of 46%, with an initial investment of over US$ 9.5 million.

Growth in the use of paper with features similar to those developed by Celulosa y Papeles del Caribe S.A., were documented in 1997 by the Advertising Print & Production Association at their annual conference on alternative paper fibers. There it was shown that interest both on the part of producers and consumers in paper from non-tree fiber is growing at a rate of 10% per year and it will soon become a million ton per day market.  Also, the environmental commitment to preservation of the forests in the struggle against climate change is making the world open up its doors to this product.

GLOSSARY

Lignin:  A  chemical substance that hardens fibers and makes them brittle instead of flexible; the “harder” a wood is, the more lignin it has.
Rachis: This is the stem or axis holding the small bunches of bananas in the larger bunch.  Each plant produces only one main stem or rachis, from which the smaller banana bunches or “hands” are attached.
Chlorinated Products: Products containing chlorine, traditionally used for bleaching the fibers. This traditionally produces contaminating compounds in process wastewaters.

Official Contact