Diagnosis of circular economy in the forest sector in southern Brazil.

Abstract

This paper analyzes how the forest sector in Lages region of Santa Catarina State (SC), Brazil, performs materials and energy synergies between its companies, striving for a circular economic model that encourages reduction in the use of virgin resources and waste generation. Therefore, 23 companies from the forest sector were visited and divided in: primary processing (PP), primary and secondary processing (PSP), primary, secondary and tertiary processing (PSTP), panels (Pa), pulp and paper (P&P), recycling (Re) and production of energy (PE). The sector consumes 83.6% of its input from virgin materials, 91.3% of its wastes go to energy recovery, and 83.2% of the energy consumed comes from the steam generated from these wastes. Through a dendrogram obtained by grouping the companies in five clusters, based on their similarities in circularity, and by a circularity map, it was observed that the use of forestry wastes in obtaining steam and electricity is the main circular characteristic of the sector. Also, the transformation yield of inputs in products increase from 60% in PP and PSP to almost 100% in companies that operate at the closure of the sector circularity, Re and PE. This provides high exploitation of the materials, reduces the need for the extraction of virgin resources, returns nutrients to the soil, provides clean renewable energy, and reduced the need for landfill. It was observed that the existence of an industrial arrangement favors the application of a Circular Economic model in the forest sector in Lages.