Empacar S.A. (Empacar), Bolivia's leading sustainable packaging and recycling company, is focusing on biochar production as the next step in its environmental and sustainability strategy.
The announcement follows Empacar's launch of Carbon X at the Bolivia Carbon Forum - a new business unit dedicated to carbon removal and circular economy solutions. CarbonX serves as the group’s platform for climate innovation, transforming environmental challenges into durable climate assets and leading the company’s transition into the global voluntary carbon market. With close to five decades of operational experience and leadership in recycling and the circular economy, Empacar is considered a regional leader in sustainable operations.
When its site is fully operational Empacar aims to capture approximately 70,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, with the first issuance of carbon credits expected in 2027. The feedstock will comprise entirely of wood residues from local sawmills regulated by Autoridad de Fiscalización y Control Social de Bosques y Tierra (ABT), the Bolivia government entity overseeing land use, including forests.
The facility will be based in Ascención de Guarayos, located in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz department and will deliver significant co-benefits for local populations and rural businesses. By converting residues that might otherwise be openly burned, the project can help reduce air pollution, while the resulting biochar can be applied as a soil enhancer in local agriculture.
A partnership to scale high-integrity biochar production
Establishing and scaling its biochar operations is being made possible through a partnership with Puro.earth, the leading crediting platform for engineered carbon dioxide removal (CDR); the leading digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) platform Cula; and leading Biochar project consultant BioFlux, to help scale one of Bolivia’s largest biochar facilities.
The partnership will enable Empacar to scale its biochar production operations rapidly, leveraging Puro.earth’s institutional-grade infrastructure built on scientific rigour, transparency, and integrity.
Empacar’s biochar projects will be certified under the Puro standard, with credits being issued into the Puro Registry following all necessary audits and verification.
BioFlux has partnered with Empacar since the earliest concept stage of CarbonX, serving as project codeveloper and lead technical advisor. Bringing end-to-end project development capability across multiple jurisdictions, BioFlux has guided CarbonX from feedstock assessment and technology selection through site design, engineering coordination, and Puro.Earth certification preparation. BioFlux is also leading commercial development across carbon removal credits and biochar as a physical agricultural product, ensuring the project meets the technical, environmental, and market requirements necessary to scale durable carbon removal across Latin America.
Cula will provide the digital infrastructure that enables automated monitoring, reporting, and verification of Empacar’s biochar operations. The Cula platform integrates directly with production systems and onsite sensors to automatically collect operational data across feedstock handling, processing, and carbon storage. This data infrastructure enables Empacar to scale production while maintaining consistent, auditable data streams required for certification under the Puro Standard.
“This initiative represents a new chapter for Empacar,” said Carlos Limpias, Empacar´s CEO. “Through CarbonX, we are transforming industrial biomass residues into permanent carbon removal while creating economic opportunities for rural communities.”
“Empacar brings decades of industrial expertise and entrepreneurial leadership to this project,” said Oliver Erb, Co-Founder at Cula Technologies, “Scaling blochar carbon removal demands operators who understand complex industrial systems - and rigorous data infrastructure to match. We're proud to provide the platform that automates Empacar's operational data collection from day one, ensuring every tone removed is transparently tracked and verifiable.”
“Empacar’s ambition is clear: to become a leader in global biochar carbon removal. With nearly 50+ years of experience in waste management, Empacar showcases the operational excellence and supply chain mastery needed to scale biochar carbon removal across Latin America. BioFlux is proud to partner with Empacar to transform this capability into one of the region’s most ambitious biochar carbon removal platforms,” said Julian Cortes, Co-Founder of BioFlux.
Jan Willem Bode, President of Puro.earth, added: “Scaling this industry requires more than technology - it requires trusted standards, transparent data and credible certification, and strong entrepreneurial companies willing to participate in this market. We’re thrilled to support Empacar in issuing high-integrity carbon removal credits and connecting with global buyers seeking verified climate impact.”
