The Problem
Our country is one of the largest producers of olive oil worldwide, with over 200,000,000 olive trees. However, a significant amount of solid residues and liquid waste is generated during olive cultivation and oil processing. Due to the lack of systems for managing these wastes, the environmental impacts are increasingly concerning.
Every year, 3 million tons of olive wood, resulting from pruning and not utilized as firewood, are burned, polluting the atmosphere.
Olive mills produce 1.5 million m3 of liquid waste characterized by:
- Extremely high organic loading rate that is 200 times greater than that found in urban wastewater.
- Seasonality.
- The presence of phenolic compounds, making their treatment particularly challenging.
These wastes either end up illegally in the environment without any processing or are usually processed with hydrated lime, ending in evaporation ponds. These ponds often overflow, polluting the soil and groundwater and contributing to eutrophication.
Solid residues from tree pruning, such as the leaves and olive pits, are burned in forested areas, releasing large quantities of gas such as carbon dioxide and an increased risk of wildfires.
Beyond pollution, there is an extensive lack of nutrients in the soil substrate of olive groves. Combined with prolonged droughts, it poses a severe risk to the country's cultivation and future of olive oil production.
So far, the proposed solutions to address this issue have involved centralized management or high operating costs. This is why a measure has yet to be implemented to address the extent of environmental complications.
