Usina Colorado and CEM consume less than one cubic metre of water per tonne of sugarcane milled. This exceptional result is due to a closed-loop water recirculation system, which allows for a high rate of water reuse in the industrial process. The mills have implemented actions to protect and restore riparian areas and to conserve soil, aiming to safeguard water resources. They measure the volume of water captured and ensure its efficient use. Both companies also carry out environmentally appropriate treatment and disposal of water.

Usina Colorado and CEM adopt best practices in soil preparation, as well as actions to prevent and control erosion and ensure proper management to mitigate soil compaction. They conduct monitoring of erosive processes and areas with potential for erosion within cultivation zones. The mills also implement best practices to avoid soil compaction, such as traffic control, compliance with optimal conditions for planting and harvesting, livestock trampling control, and the use of precision agriculture techniques.

The Colorado Group carries out efficient solid waste management, ensuring the proper disposal, segregation, destination, and final placement of waste materials, in accordance with their characteristics and in an environmentally responsible manner. Reuse, recycling, recovery, and co-processing are among the methods adopted. Through training initiatives, the Colorado Group raises awareness and educates its employees about the proper disposal of waste. In partnership with specialised companies, the Group promotes employee training on waste storage and transport, segregation of Class I and Class II waste, and appropriate disposal of cardboard, plastic, and wooden packaging that are free of contamination. Clean and uncontaminated materials are commercialised for reuse in other production cycles.

In addition to producing low-carbon biofuel and bioenergy, the Colorado Group’s mills are committed to the conservation and preservation of environmental areas. They promote the planting and maintenance of native seedlings to enrich native forest fragments and restore riparian forests, thereby helping to protect flora, fauna, and water resources. Usina Colorado maintains the Fazenda São Sebastião Seedling Nursery, established in 2003.

Often used for environmental education initiatives involving schools, students, and the local community, the nursery has produced thousands of tree specimens, cultivating over one hundred species of native regional flora, as well as exotic species used for urban greening and landscaping. Recovered areas are monitored through monthly inspections over several years.

This initiative ensures the favourable conditions for the successional stages of the restoration area, allowing the native seedlings to reach full development and contribute to the formation of a new forest ecosystem.