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Antofagasta Terminal Internacional (ATI) has launched a wood recycling system with the installation of a new woodchipper. This will turn wood such as sticks and pallets that have already served their purpose to separate and load copper cathodes or as packaging for domestic cargo, into woodchips.

“For our terminal, it is very important to develop integral waste management, and this initiative allows us to take care of waste that is always present in port activity, giving it a second life just as we do with other waste such as tires, plastics, and cigarette butts,” said Cynthia Cortés, HSEQ Division Chief.

The intended environmental benefit is to reduce waste generation and CO2 emissions, avoiding the final disposal of wood in a landfill. ATI will work with environmental organizations in the community to manage the various uses of the resulting woodchips, which can be in landscaping, composting, or as absorbent material.

The recycling process consists of segregating dry wood and disassembling pallets (with prior authorization from SAG), detecting nails with a metal detector, and then removing them. Then, the wood goes through the crushing phase and is turned into sawdust or small pieces called chips or shavings, which will be stored in sacks with a capacity of 25 to 30 kilos. The wood in good condition, meanwhile, will be reused for other community purposes.

Thanks to its waste management plan focused on reduction, reuse, and promotion of recycling, 77% of waste generated in 2022 was recycled.