Peelpioneers has plans for adventures across the border. In 2027, the orange peeler opens a factory in Spain that must become about three times as large as the factory in Den Bosch. “We get natural ingredients from orange peels that are used in food, cosmetics and cleaning products.”
In the Netherlands we love a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. But it also ensures a large mountain of waste. Because for every glass of orange juice that we drink the same weight of peels disappears in the trash. Supermarkets, cafés and restaurants together have around 20 million kilos of peeling together. The processing of this is done by burning the skins. Many harmful gases are released.
“Waste processors cannot properly process orange peels. The high acidity eats the inside of the machines. Also a lot of CO2 is released during the combustion process. That is not good for the environment and health of people,” says Sytze Van Stempvoort, co -founder of Peelpioneers. “That could be done differently, we thought in 2017. We now give more than 10 million kilos of orange peels a second life every year and we have plans to open a factory in Spain, the capital of the citrus peels. The factory must become two to three times as large as in Den Bosch.”
In the Peelpioneers factory in Den Bosch, according to the company the largest orange peel factory in Europe, there are 25 self -developed machines. The company picks up the peels at catering establishments and supermarkets and then squeezes oil from the full peels. Sytze: “You can find our oil in flavorings for foods such as dairy and cookies and as a raw material for soap and cleaning agents. The oil adds orange color and the orange scent and taste. The pulp is used as supplement for cattle.”
Muffins and ice cream
Sytze van Stempvoort and his colleagues also developed a technique to turn the white part of oranges fiber, a white powder that is no longer an orange scent or taste. “These fibers give firmness and structure to, for example, egg-free mayonnaise, muffins and ice cream. They are also used in summer beer, sauces, care creams and bubbles.”
With everything the company does, it is important for Sytze that the company yields a substantial CO2 saving. “CO2 emissions are not good for the environment. And it can cause fatigue, headache, breathing problems and cardiovascular diseases in humans. The ten million kilos of orange peels that we process annually is equivalent to saving 31 million kilometers with a car,” he says. “The orange peels no longer have to be burned and fewer new raw materials are needed for the products where our fibers and oil are.”
Horizon continues
According to Sytze, one of the biggest challenges is finding enough staff. Certainly now that the company has plans for adventures across the border. “The new factory must be placed in the Spanish region of Murcia. Spain is the source of the citrus fruits. It is a logical step for us. We also want to process peel from other citrus fruits, such as Lime, Citroen and Grapefruit. There are many more peels that we can give a second life.”