A local company has found a new use for forestry waste that would otherwise be burned, releasing emissions into the atmosphere. Silvachar Environmental, which is based out of Salmon Arm, is working to turn forestry waste into biochar — a soil additive that has been used for thousands of years to help retain moisture and lock nutrients into the earth. “Biochar has a high surface area, which allows it to absorb liquid, solids and gasses disproportionate to its size, just due to its surface area and the porosity of it,” said Silvachar’s Kevin Smith. Biochar’s porosity can help in a home garden or even for large agricultural applications. “You think of how much fertilizer gets put on agricultural fields each year or multiple times a year, and realistically they’re losing up to 60 per cent of those nutrients,” Smith said.