Aviko Proven, a leading player in the potato processing industry, faced the challenge of disposing of plastic films in a sustainable manner. Traditional waste disposal led to incineration of the foils, which was not in line with the organization's sustainability goals. Together with Milgro, Aviko Proven set out to find an environmentally friendly solution for processing foils.
The search for the ideal sustainable waste processor
In February 2020, Aviko and Milgro made initial contacts with a potential chemical recycler. The choice for chemical recycling came from the need for a higher reuse potential for the foils, in addition to the benefit of reducing the use of fossil raw materials during the processing. Although this processor was still in the start-up phase, it proved to be a promising solution. In June 2021, the first bale of foils was successfully processed, but the long distance between Aviko Proven and the processing site caused high transportation costs. To address this problem, it was agreed to store larger quantities (20-24 bales, accounting for 6,000-7,200 kg) and transport them at once, thus reducing transportation costs.
Unfortunately, during the period of implementation, a major fire occurred at the processing site. This required extensive restoration work at the site. The processor was expected to regain capacity to process Aviko Proven foils by the end of September 2022.
In the meantime, Aviko and Milgro were looking for a local alternative. In August 2022, a nearby processor was found and the first disposal of some 2 tons of foils could take place.
Optimizations along the way
Gradually, Aviko Proven's production operations were optimized and balers were positioned at the right positions in the production process. After this transition period, Aviko Proven now discharges foils an average of 2-3 times per month, which accounts for 11-12 tons per month. Thanks to the cooperation with Milgro, the foils are sustainably recycled instead of incinerated.
''Based on our own sustainability goals, we as Aviko want to reduce our ecological footprint as much as possible. Therefore, we are also always looking for improvements in terms of waste processing. After working out a test case in collaboration with Milgro, we saw that we could recycle a significant portion of our residual waste. After 1 year we can now say that, thanks to the support of Milgro, our amount of residual waste has been reduced by almost 70% and at the same time we have realized a nice cost savings'', says Dries Dessein.
From incineration to recycling
This solution not only reduced transport costs, but also contributed to Aviko Proven's sustainability goals. Where previously incineration was the norm, a significant amount of foil is now chemically recycled each month, leading to a significant reduction in environmental impact.
Want to know more?
Would you like to learn more about our approach or discuss the possibilities for your organization? Then make an appointment now with Alex van Kuilenburg, Team Lead Food at Milgro.
