Environment

Aurora Coop receives award at the 30th Expressão de Ecologia Award

Project “Modernization of liquid effluent treatment plants at Aurora Coop: new system controls pollution and brings greater efficiency and operational control” won 1st place in the “Pollution Control” category.

Historically committed to sustainability, Aurora Coop was awarded at the 30th Expressão de Ecologia Award, the country’s biggest environmental award in the business segment. The project “Modernization of liquid effluent treatment plants at Aurora Coop: new system controls pollution and brings greater efficiency and operational control” won 1st place in the “Pollution Control” category. The announcement was made last week by Editora Expressão.

With the aim of improving the treatment of effluents from the Erechim I and II Unit (RS) and with plans to increase the production capacities of the Aurora Chapecó I (SC) and Guatambu (SC) meatpacking plants, the cooperative invested more than R$40 million in the implementation and modernization of effluent treatment plants in order to meet expansions and reinforce their sustainability value. “Despite having activated sludge operating in other industrial units, the installation of these stations marked the cooperative’s history with technological advancement and the adoption of new concepts that should be replicated in future installations”, explains Aurora Coop’s sustainability coordinator, Luciana Frassetto de Campos Breda.

The installations began in 2019 and ended in 2022, achieving results such as greater efficiency, strict control and operational flexibility, reduction of the occupied area and significant improvement in the results of the treated effluent. “We achieved a reduction of 100 tons of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) released into the receiving water bodies per year. The elimination of anaerobic treatment also resulted in a reduction in emissions of 1,954 tons of methane (CH4) and 54,712 tons of CO2”, he highlights.

For the president of Aurora Coop, Neivor Canton, the achievement is the result of the cooperative’s historic commitment to preserving and caring for the environment. “We believe in the importance of constantly looking for ways to improve practices and reduce environmental impacts. Important values ​​of Aurora Coop, such as ethics, quality, trust and sustainability are reinforced in innovative projects like this”, celebrates the president.

Ecology Expression Award

The Expressão Ecology Award was created in 1993 by Editora Expressão with the purpose of publicizing the main sustainability actions and encouraging the replicability of these initiatives. It became the country’s biggest environmental award in the business segment, with recognition from the Ministry of the Environment.

Since 2021, the Award has been open to the state of São Paulo, in addition to the three states in the South region. This year, the award saw the participation of 121 registered environmental projects. The award ceremony will take place in August, in Florianópolis (SC), when Aurora Coop will receive the Onda Verde Trophy.