Blog: A proven, scalable solution for the forest industry’s growing sludge volumes
The utilisation of forest industry side streams in agriculture is accelerating across Europe. In 2025, Soilfood received and processed approximately 165,000 tonnes of side streams from forest industry mills in the Nordics. The figure is an increase of 40 % compared to the previous year. This growth is not coincidental. It reflects a structural shift in the industry.
Energy solutions in pulp and paper mills are changing. As electrification advances and the need for process steam declines, mills are moving away from burning sludge for energy recovery. This transition is advancing mill by mill across the sector. For the sludge volumes that are no longer incinerated, the industry is actively seeking sustainable, cost-effective alternatives.
Soilfood has spent over a decade developing the agricultural use of soil improvement fibres made from forest industry side streams. This solution is proven and ready to scale. We currently receive fibre-rich side streams from 13 forest industry mills in the Nordics, and our products are used by thousands of farmers.
Why farmers value fibre treatment?
For farmers, fibre application is the most effective way to increase organic matter in arable land. As soil structure improves and water retention capacity grows, fields become more resilient to both drought and heavy rainfall. Soil health and yield levels go hand in hand.
By incorporating fibre treatment into their crop management plans, farmers make a long-term investment in the productive capacity of their land. Soil fertility is the foundation of food production, and strengthening it is a direct contribution to self-sufficiency and the sustainability of food production.
Proven environmental benefits
The environmental benefits of agricultural fibre use are well documented. Multi-year studies conducted by the Natural Resources Institute Finland, together with numerous field trials, have demonstrated that soil improvement fibres significantly reduce phosphorus leaching from farmland into waterways. And the effect lasts several years. This is driven by the organic matter in the fibres, which activates soil microbial activity and strengthens soil structure.
The use of soil improvement fibres simultaneously supports multiple objectives: resource-efficient utilisation of industrial side streams, improved self-sufficiency in food production, maintenance of soil carbon stocks, and reduced nutrient leaching into waterways.
A solution that is available today
The 2025 growth figures confirm that the forest industry has found a viable agricultural utilisation pathway for its sludge. The market is expanding continuously, not only in the Nordics, but wherever pulp, paper and tissue mills generate fibre-rich side streams that deserve a better destination than incineration or landfill.
This is not a future promise. It is a solution that works today.
Eljas Jokinen
Group CEO
Soilfood Oy
p. 040 703 1442
eljas.jokinen@soilfood.fi
Key points
Soilfood offers a ready and scalable circular economy solution for the growing fibre-rich side streams of the forest industry by processing them into beneficial use in agriculture.
What are soil improvement fibres? Soil improvement fibres are products made from the fibre-rich side streams of the forest industry, which are spread on fields. Fibre treatment increases organic matter, improves soil health, and enhances water retention capacity.
Why are sludge volumes from the forest industry growing? The electrification of the forest industry is reducing the need for steam, which means that sludges are no longer incinerated for energy to the same extent as before. This frees up increasing volumes of side streams for other beneficial uses.
How do the fibres affect water bodies? According to research by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), soil improvement fibres significantly reduce phosphorus runoff from farmland into water bodies for several years after application.
WE UTILISE SIDE STREAMS AS MATERIALS, IN LINE WITH THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
It’s time to see forest industry side streams as raw materials and put them to use as materials. Soilfood has been building side stream utilisation solutions together with the forest industry for over ten years, and the leading players in the Nordics trust our services.