PeelPioneers
From orange peels to sustainable raw material
Give PeelPioneers 50,000 kilos of orange peels and they transform it into raw materials for in burgers, bread, biscuits, meat substitutes and wraps. But also for cosmetics, detergents and much more. Nothing is wasted; what remains as ‘waste’ after the processing is used for animal feed. Truly a lubricated and sustainable production process
The challenge of reducing waste
The Brabant factory in Den Bosch works hard every day to turn orange peels into raw materials. The orange peels come from the juicers in the supermarket, where you can make your fresh orange juice on the spot. Everyone knows them. The heart of PeelPioneers is circularity, and this is reflected throughout the whole company. Also in the production process and maintenance.
Eddie den Heijer is the face behind maintenance at PeelPioneers, employed as a maintenance engineer since October 2021. “I’ve been in the maintenance business for 42 years and had grown a bit stuck in my previous job. A lot of young people work in this company. Innovation is paramount. This is where I am getting back into the game,” he says enthusiastically.
“PeelPioneers sets high standards for food safety and quality, and that also applies to the lubricants. I didn’t want to immediately fall back on the lubricants I was familiar with in the past. Under the motto, ‘take a different approach and look further’, I went looking for what else was available on the market. That’s how I ended up with the food-grade BECHEM lubricants from FenS.”
Sustainable lubricants that reduce waste
PeelPioneers is now in the scale-up phase, keeping Eddie very busy. We relieved him by setting up a lubrication schedule. This way, we take some of the work off Eddie’s hands so that he has time for other things. The lubrication schedule provided insight into all machines and lubrication points in the plant and helped Eddie choose the appropriate lubricants. Moreover, Eddie was first able to experience the performance of the lubricants himself thanks to the free samples.
In addition, Eddie talks about the lubricants: “They meet both quality and food safety requirements and fit seamlessly into our policy: they are sustainable and reduce waste.”
The number of different lubricants has been minimised thanks to the products’ wide applicability. In addition, their long service life reduces consumption. Performing an oil analysis also contributes to a sustainable lubrication policy. That analysis provides insight into the quality of the oil, which means PeelPioneers never replaces too early or too late.
Service is the key
Food safety, sustainability and quality were not the only reasons for PeelPioneers choosing FenS. “With FenS, it’s not just about selling products, as is the case with many big ‘oil companies’. What stands out with FenS is their clear and fast communication, and of course the many options they offer, such as aftercare and that we can have an oil analysis done. Their interest goes beyond just selling lubricants. We like that,” is how Eddie summarises the cooperation.
