Duynie Group and Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling foundation collaborating to transition to circular chains 

Circular the norm

“Of all food produced worldwide, over a third is never consumed,” says Toine. “When you consider the fact that a third of greenhouse gas emissions is related to our food system, this means that eight to ten percent of greenhouse gases are released worldwide for no reason at all.” So, reducing food waste is an effective way to reduce our food footprint, but according to Toine, requires a change within the system. “We are working towards creating a food system in which ‘using everything’ progressively becomes the norm: from linear to circular.” 

Changing the playing field 

The foundation uses a systematic approach to food waste reduction. This means that action is taken together with companies, government authorities and social organisations to combat waste throughout the entire chain. A total of 120 organisations are already affiliated with the foundation as a stakeholder. Toine explains, “What is most important is that we jointly build a story about preventing waste and show that things can be done differently. By not only preaching, but also inspiring, we work together with the sector to create a positive standard.” A number of companies and organisations within the foundation are grouped into clusters that focus on, for example, bread or circular animal proteins. “By combining strengths within a cluster, you can change the playing field,” says Toine. 

Over five million tonnes 

Since March 2023, the Duynie Group, part of Cosun, has been a stakeholder in the Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling foundation. The Duynie Group focuses not only on preventing food waste, as do many of the existing stakeholders in the foundation, but just as much on converting organic residues from animal feed into human food. Nicole comments, “It all started back in 1968 with Arie Verduyn, Jan van Nierop and a single truck, which was used to pick up brewers’ grains and potato products for use as local animal feed. With its 55 years of experience and entrepreneurial culture, Duynie has developed into a company that gives over five million tonnes of by-products from the food and biofuel industry a new circular use. These products are still packed with nutrients! We can then convert them into circular animal feed and innovate them for technical uses, pet food and even human food. With our newest innovation, we have succeeded in separating the protein from brewers’ grains, which in turn can be used to replace soy protein, for instance, in meat substitutes.”  

From small player to circular role model 

According to Toine, waste prevention may be most important of all, but utilising waste flows as much as possible is also essential. “But to arrive at ‘total use’, the chains need to be more versatile. It can be challenging with natural products because of spots or patches that need to be removed, but that’s nature. A factory can also experience a technical malfunction, making it no longer possible to process products, such as a french fries factory. Maximum value needs to be extracted from the raw materials that remain. This is the primary focus at Duynie, which collects residues and examines ways to utilise them as best as possible in the chain.” Nicole adds, “In this sense, Duynie’s work aligns with the mission of the Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling foundation by showing that it is possible to build a successful company on a circular business model. We do this not only in the Netherlands, but throughout Europe.” “Exactly,” adds Toine, “which means that Duynie offers more than just a one-off solution, but a long-term total solution.” 

 

Increasing the value of products together 

The Duynie Group sees lots of opportunities in its affiliation with the foundation. Nicole comments, “Chain change takes a joint effort. The Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling foundation has a large network of knowledge institutions, companies and social organisations. We have our own network and innovations that enhance the value of products to an increasingly higher level. By entering into this partnership, we can help each other to increase the economic value of products and make circularity the norm.” This can be achieved through knowledge sharing and inspiration, as well as on the practical level. “If another partner of the foundation is looking for a sustainable solution for a specific type of residue, such as a dryer for preserving a waste flow, we may very well have a number of options to offer.” 


Stakeholder event

The Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling foundation organises a stakeholder event for all affiliated partners each year. Toine explains, “During the event, new forms of collaboration always emerge spontaneously. It is an ecosystem full of people with a mindset to address waste.” At the stakeholder event, organisations are given a platform to show what they are working on and inspire others, as well as to come up with new scalable solutions together. The next stakeholder event is scheduled for Thursday 22 June. On that day, the Duynie Group will be presenting itself as a new partner within the foundation to the other stakeholders and talk about its newest innovation.

Want to do more to combat food waste? Have a look at https://samentegenvoedselverspilling.nl/ and take part in Waste-Free Week..

Wrapping paper from pulp

The paper industry is among the top three largest emitters of greenhouse gases. That is why paper manufacturers are looking for ways to make their products and production processes more environmentally friendly. Adding beet pulp to fresh wood fibre as a raw material is one such solution.

CO2 emissions reduced by 80 percent

Fred Andriessen, R&D project manager at Cosun Biobased, explains, “Replacing a tonne of wood fibre with a tonne of beet pulp results in 80 percent lower CO2 emissions. Trees are specially grown and logged to make paper – around two billion tonnes a year – while beet pulp is a by-product from the sugar industry. What’s more, beets grow back every year, while a tree needs years to become big enough to harvest. Not to mention the fact that the trees used come from far away, such as Scandinavia and South America. Sugar beets grow in the Netherlands close to the paper factory.” Moreover, unlike wood, beets do not contain lignin, a polymer that is chemically removed during paper production. Paper manufacturer Crown Van Gelder wants to distinguish itself with beet paper and attract sustainably minded buyers. Fred continues, “The paper is white with tiny black dots from the miniscule leftovers of the beet skin. In other words, it’s clearly recognisable as paper, but with a narrative.”

Durable, affordable and food-safe

Following a test period, the paper has been commercially available for two years under the name Crown Native. It contains 20 percent fibre from beet pulp. This results in 16 percent less CO2 emissions than paper made entirely from fresh wood fibre.

Tom Brooijmans, director of Novidon, comments, “Adding one-fifth pulp turns out to be the ideal ratio. Beet pulp is cheaper than fresh wood fibre, so in terms of economic costs, ‘the more the better’. But beet also retains more moisture than wood, so 20 percent is the absolute maximum. Crown Native can just as easily be printed and is just as durable as wood paper made from 100 percent wood fibre.”

Last year, the Cosun Beet Company published the Bright Beet Book on sugar beet paper. Retailers can also purchase beet paper for use as wrapping paper. But beet paper is mostly used for packaging. “The paper is ISEGA-certified, which means it is suitable for use as packaging that is in direct contact with food.  In other words, it can be used for food-safe packaging. All consumer packaging for loose granulated sugar from Van Gilse, for instance, is made of beet paper,” says Fred. Beet paper packaging can be reused around seven times, after which it is compostable.

Tissues and recycled paper

Novidon is familiar with the non-food sector as a supplier of potato starch, a by-product from the potato processing industry. The company is part of the Duynie Group, which specialises in the circular value creation of co-products and sells all beet pulp originating from the two Dutch sugar factories run by the Cosun Beet Company. Fred continues, “A lot of pulp is fermented or goes to the animal feed industry. By finding innovation projects like paper production, we can create added value.” This is a good example of how a solution developed by R&D to reuse residuals from the Cosun Beet Company for high-end products finds it way to buyers through the specialists of the Duynie Group. Of the one million tonnes of beet pulp that remains at Cosun each year, a small percentage goes to Crown Van Gelder, where the production of beet paper takes place on an industrial scale. According to Tom, “Sales of white paper could probably increase, but to achieve faster growth, we are also looking into other types of paper.” Fred adds, “We’re currently experimenting with beet pulp in tissues and paper towels. As well as in recycled paper. But beet pulp will have to offer technical advantages or it will be too expensive. The best part is that sugar beet pulp strengthens the paper significantly, so this can be one such advantage. But it takes time to convince and mobilise the entire marketing and production chain.”

Recognition

With a preparation time of two years, this kind of marketing chain has been developed for grass seed packaging, for example. The excellent potential of fibre from beet pulp as a sustainable alternative to wood fibre is clear from the Bronze Innovation and Public Awards presented at the EUROSAC 2022 Grand Prix to the five partners working on this sustainable innovation solution: Cosun Beet Company, Novidon, Crown Van Gelder and Fiorini, which printed the beet paper bags for grass seed manufacturer DLF.

In addition to valorising residual products such as beet pulp, Cosun is also working on processing sugar beets in a more sustainable way.

The power of the co-product

Marcel Lommers is the manager of Research & Development (R&D) at Duynie Group. He is responsible for establishing and managing R&D projects as well as leading a young and enthusiastic group of four employees. ‘As a team, we are absolutely devoted to and passionate about valorizing raw materials as well as co-products from the food, beverage, and bioethanol industries.’ He notes chips as an example: ‘For one kilo of chips, you need about two kilos of potatoes. We make sure that those remaining co-products are made as valuable as possible’.

A pot of co-product

Marcel describes the progression of an innovation process. ‘Funnily enough, it starts with a pot of co-product being sent to us. The first step is investigation. What is it, what can you do with it, where does it come from, and what processing can we apply to it?’ These are the initial questions in what Duynie Group calls the ‘Screening, Scouting and Ideation (SSI) phase’. After these initial questions, we proceed to testing. ‘Theory is important, but practice is decisive,’ says Marcel. ‘We conduct quick and dirty tests to determine the potential of a project. These are based on feeling, but supported by theory and experience.’

Preference for brewer’s spent grain over wheat flour

Brewer’s spent grain is an example of a process where everything comes together. That is because brewer’s spent grain is a co-product of brewing and consists mainly of barley residue. The accumulation of dozens of small projects with brewer’s spent grain over the years has led to the development of two high-quality products: a low-protein fibre and a high-protein concentrate. ‘Brewer’s spent grain is a fantastic product from a nutritional standpoint. I would even prefer to eat brewer’s spent grain over ordinary wheat flour! Our innovation offers a lot of opportunities, but our colleague will explain more about that in a subsequent article,’ Marcel says with a wink.

Ensuring circularity

Marcel sees international potential in adding value to co-products: ‘In the Netherlands, every square metre has been thought out and we have to be frugal with our raw materials. This awareness will also grow in countries where there is currently no acute need for circular thinking.’ Here, he sees a clear role for Duynie Group. ‘As the Duynie Group, we are the key to ensuring circularity. Our task as an R&D department is to ensure that we can maximize the value of the co-products.’

The Waste Free Week

The Waste Free Week is scheduled for 12 to 18 September inclusive. This initiative by Stichting Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling (Together Against Food Waste Foundation) takes up the challenge with millions of Dutch people to reduce food waste. Worldwide, an average of a third of all food between production and consumption is not eaten. Duynie Group’s R&D department works passionately to upgrade co-products from the food and beverage industry. Through their efforts, they contribute to a circular economy and the reduction of food waste.
Together against food waste Click here to learn more about how Cosun contributes to combating food waste through it’s own Innovation Center, by developing plant-based non-food products.

Warmth thanks to sugar beets

Beet tails

All parts of the beet collected during the washing process, including the beet tails, are added to large sugar beet fermentation tanks near the factories. ‘We use it to make biogas,’ says Bertram.

Largest producer of green gas

‘Most of this green gas goes to the natural gas grid for use by Dutch households,’ explains Bertram. ‘We use about twenty percent for our beet campaign, when extracting sugar from the beets in autumn. We’re one of the largest green gas producers in the Netherlands.’

First in Europe

Cosun aims to reduce its CO2 output by 35 percent in 2030. In 2020, we reduced CO2 emissions in our sugar factories by forty percent and consumed fifty percent less energy per tonne compared to 1990. ‘Cosun saves a tremendous amount of energy by carefully using the heat produced during the campaign at different temperature levels. New technologies such as thermal vapour recompression are also used. Many European sugar factories reuse heat, but not nearly as efficiently as us. We are a frontrunner in this regard,’ says Bertram.

Energy experts

‘Cosun is well on its way to becoming climate-neutral in the future, but it’s important for our companies to take the necessary steps as well. We are learning a lot from each other and seeing if more solutions can be applied in more places, like the Cosun Solar Park. Our next step is to look into heat pump technology, which could save a lot on gas consumption. We have yet to apply this technology in our sugar production process. Fortunately, Cosun has an innovation centre where energy experts work full-time on climate projects and can lend a helping hand.’

Sustainable egg boxes made from potato starch

From co-product to new product

‘We are always seeking new sales opportunities to valorise co- or by-products. This is how we contribute to the circular use of raw materials. Co-products are thus reused and we prevent waste. The egg boxes from Rondeel are a good example of this. The producer of the packaging, PaperFoam, uses our sustainable starch instead of starch from potatoes grown especially for this’, Christiaan says.

New life

In a circular economy you can reuse almost everything. Cosun aims for one hundred per cent circularity. The Cosun companies are working together for this, such as Duynie Group, which valorises the Aviko co-products.

‘Starch is released into process water when potatoes are cut into fries. Novidon extracts this side stream starch from the process water at companies including Aviko. This enables Aviko to reuse a large proportion of its process water, reducing the company’s CO2 emissions. Novidon washes and dries the starch, which is then used in different industries for various applications, such as in PaperFoam’s Rondeel egg boxes’, Christiaan explains.

Double win

PaperFoam uses the sustainable starch in packaging manufactured using its own technology; from water-based material, starch, and natural cellulose fibres. In addition to the egg boxes being made from recycled starch, they are also one hundred percent circular. It’s a double win for Rondeel, which produces eggs in special sheds. This benefits the chickens, consumers, farmers, and the environment.