Soil fertility is of enormous importance to the environment, especially in food production. Considering this, the present work sought to obtain environmental benefits from the application of an organic residue, rich in lignin, in the soil. Through this action, the aim was to make the soil more resistant to erosion and more capable of storing water and nutrients. It is important to mention, also, that the application of an organic residue constitutes a reuse of waste and enables the storage of carbon. The procedure then started with obtaining a lignin-rich compound. After, it s oxidation was made. Subsequently, this material was characterized by thermogravimetry (TG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dispersive energy x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Then, the compound was inoculated into a soil, followed by determination of the Atterberg Limits and Cation Exchange Capacity (CTC). One of the results was to obtain a lignin-rich compound from sugarcane bagasse, but with yield of about 10 per cent. Continuing, an industrial cellulose production residue was used, whose functionalization with acetic acid presented the best yield when compared to with other acids. According to the microscopy, the non-functionalized residue exhibited remarkable roughness and contact surface, which was further optimized by the acetic acid. The EDS pointed to the presence of carbon, oxygen and sulfur. The FTIR indicated the existence of oxygen groups both before and after the functionalizations. The liquidity limit increased, as well as the acidity caused by the hydron and the capacity to exchange sodium, calcium and potassium.