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Use of Cellulose from Waste Paper to Improve the Water Capacity of Soils Within the Circular Economy

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  • Helena Raclavská

    (ENET Centre, CEET, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
    Department of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Mining and Geology, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

  • Michal Šafář

    (ENET Centre, CEET, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

  • Konstantin Raclavský

    (ENET Centre, CEET, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

  • Marek Kucbel

    (ENET Centre, CEET, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

  • Pavel Kantor

    (ENET Centre, CEET, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

  • Barbora Švédová

    (ENET Centre, CEET, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

  • Karolina Slamová

    (Institute of Foreign Languages, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

  • Dalibor Matýsek

    (Department of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Mining and Geology, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15/2172, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic)

Abstract

The article focuses on verifying the potential of using cellulose obtained from waste cardboard to improve the soil’s water retention capacity, depending on its texture and type, in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. The study compares reference cellulose (RFC) and waste carton-extracted cellulose (WCC) in terms of their structure and water-holding capacity (WHC), using FTIR spectroscopy and experiments across various soil types. Results showed that WCC has a significantly higher WHC (12.6 g/g) than RFC (0.75 g/g) due to its greater proportion of amorphous sections and the presence of lignin and hemicellulose. In contrast, the high crystalline content of RFC limits its water sorption capabilities. Soil texture and soil organic matter (SOM) play a crucial role in water retention. The highest WHC values were observed in fine-grained soils classified as silt loam. The study confirms that SOM has a stronger influence on WHC than texture alone. Applying WCC led to a linear increase in WHC across different soil types. Even soils with initially low WHC showed notable improvement with low doses of WCC (1%). The findings highlight the potential of waste carton-extracted cellulose as a soil amendment to enhance water retention in agricultural soils, especially in adapting to climate variability and drought conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Helena Raclavská & Michal Šafář & Konstantin Raclavský & Marek Kucbel & Pavel Kantor & Barbora Švédová & Karolina Slamová & Dalibor Matýsek, 2025. "Use of Cellulose from Waste Paper to Improve the Water Capacity of Soils Within the Circular Economy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:17:p:1880-:d:1741497
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Saven Thai & Lenka Pavlů & Václav Tejnecký & Petra Vokurková & Shahin Nozari & Luboš Borůvka, 2021. "Comparison of soil organic matter composition under different land uses by DRIFT spectroscopy," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 67(5), pages 255-263.
    2. Bednář, Marek & Pavelková, Renata & Netopil, Patrik & Šarapatka, Bořivoj, 2025. "Czech farmers' perspectives on sustainable agriculture and water management: Implications for climate change adaptation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    3. Evangelin Ramani Sujatha & Govindarajan Kannan, 2022. "An Investigation on the Potential of Cellulose for Soil Stabilization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Růžičková, Jana & Raclavská, Helena & Kucbel, Marek & Pfeifer, Christoph & Juchelková, Dagmar & Hrbek, Jitka & Šafář, Michal & Slamová, Karolina & Švédová, Barbora & Kantor, Pavel, 2023. "Incidence and spread of additives from co-combustion of plastic waste in domestic boilers in indoor and outdoor environments around the family house," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
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