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Biological controls against pests:
Beneficial plants such as Turnera Subulata, Antigonan Leptopus and Casia Cobanensis are
planted to attract predators (insects) of leaf pests. These predators feed on leaf pest larvae thereby minimising the usage of
pesticides. The introduction of barn owls in estates to suppress rodent population and the placement of pheromone traps to
capture rhinoceros beetles are among methods that have been adopted and proven effective.
Environmental assessment:
Environmental impact assessments are carried out ahead of any new plantation development. During
the year, the Group commenced an environmental impact assessment (“EIA”) on its greenfield development in Sungai Siput,
Perak. The EIA is still on-going and is expected to be completed this current financial year.
Waste Management
The
Plantation Division
adheres to a “zero discharge” policy by recycling waste and by-products. At our palm oil mill in Indonesia,
the primary oil mill waste comprises of POME generated mainly from oil extraction and EFB. These are both utilised in various
ways:
POME discharged from the mill must not be reintroduced into the environment in its raw form. Raw POME has a high acid content
and, due to its rich nutrient content, the Biological Oxygen Demand (“BOD”) level is high too. However, our average BOD reading
for POME during the land application stage falls well within the allowable discharge limits of <5,000 parts per million (“ppm”).
The POME collected from the mill is treated in open ponds located on site. The organic material in wastewater is broken down
by natural occurrences of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. This process eliminates the need to add chemicals before the water is
discharged and results in successful fish breeding at the final effluent pond. POME is utilised in two ways, it is either mixed with
shredded EFB to make our compost or applied directly to estate using the furrow system.
In addition to being converted into compost, shredded EFB is also widely used as feedstock for the steam boiler at the mill for
power generation.
Further, we regularly monitor the POME used for land application to ensure that it does not overflow into the natural waterways.
PTNJL has achieved the Green rating, the second highest level in Indonesia’s Program for Pollution Control, Evaluation, and
Rating (PROPER) in the manufacturing/agroindustry category for 4 consecutive years. The Green rating is awarded to businesses/
activities that have displayed environmental management effort and achieved results better than those required by regulation.
Hazardous waste and residual products recovered from our operations are disposed of in accordance with stringent industry
standards and statutory requirements.
total EFB produced
(Mt)
FYE2017
40,332
FYE2018
51,684
91,209
Mt
of POME applied to
estate fields in FYE2018
26,395
mt
of EFB processed into
compost in FYE2018
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2018