SLC Agrícola seeks to eliminate waste in landfills by 2028

In 2021, SLC Agrícola launched a circular economy project to promote better recycling and reuse of materials generated by farm activities, reducing waste to zero in landfills. The initiative seeks to reduce waste and increase resource efficiency, strengthening the company's commitment to promoting sustainability within and outside the organization.

The project composts organic waste from agricultural activities and social areas on farms, such as cotton husks from processing, food scraps, animal manure and pruning waste. After treatment, the compost produced is used as organic fertilizer on crops.

Fazenda Pamplona, ​​located in Cristalina (GO), was the first SLC Agrícola property to adopt circular economy practices, which led to an increase in the unit's recyclability rate, rising from 29% to 99,8%.

“In 2023, we expressed our commitment to eliminate the volume of waste sent to landfills by 2028, and we believe that the circular economy is the way to advance this agenda. By better separating waste within our units and sending it to a more circular destination, we will increase the useful life of these materials, which were previously just waste, and will be able to produce fertilizers that are used on our farms. Reconciling the economic growth of our business with sustainability and the well-being of society is our main objective”, he highlights. Alvaro Dilli (pictured above), director of human resources, sustainability and IT at SLC Agrícola.

In addition to Fazenda Pamplona, ​​other properties of the company such as Parnaguá (PI), Parceiro (BA) and Pioneira (MT), Paladino, Panorama and Piratini, all in Bahia, operate with the circular economy model.

The project is now being implemented on the Planalto and Pantanal farms (MS), Palmares (BA) and Pamplona headquarters III (MG). The company's goal is to have the circular economy included in its daily activities on all 2028 farms by the end of 23.

Since the project was implemented, SLC Agrícola has generated approximately 13.300 tons of organic waste that was recycled through composting. The main waste produced by SLC is agricultural waste from grain and cotton processing, and plastic tarpaulins used in cotton harvesting and processing, as well as packaging for inputs and automotive waste from maintenance workshops.

To implement the project, three stages are required:

• in the first, processes are analyzed, opportunities are identified, team engagement and awareness is raised, operations are adapted and an action plan is designed;

• in the second, the waste center is restructured, and thus begins the construction of the Ecofactory – a space that composts organic waste generated on farms, allowing it to be reused in the production process – in addition to training the team;

• Finally, SLC looks at technical solutions and innovative resources.