VALORIZING INDUSTRIAL BYPRODUCTS - PAPER MILL PULP SLUDGE AND DRYWALL THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-QUALITY GROWTH MEDIUM

Abstract

The human population continues to rise and projections suggest there will be nine billion people on earth by 2050. Food consumption patterns continue to indicate there will be a need to significantly increase agricultural production, to meet the rising demand for food. This brings into focus the need to develop novel ways as part of planning for future demands while using the same amount of land and minimizing environmental impacts. With a lens on increasing regional food production; combinations of waste cellulose fiber sludge from Port Hawkesbury paper mill and gypsum from Cabot Gypsum, Nova Scotia, were used to cultivate Little Bing tomato (LBT) (Solanum lycopersicum), comparing growth rates and quality against commercially available peat moss. Results demonstrated it is possible to produce LBT in pulp-gypsum blends. This could lead to the diversion of several thousand tons of waste pulp sludge and drywall from landfills each year.