Apetit Group’s three production facilities generate varying amounts of side streams. The Kantvik vegetable oil milling plant uses 99.9 per cent of seeds for vegetable oil. Wastage at the Pudasjärvi frozen pizza plant is also relatively small: less than 5 per cent of the Group’s biowaste is generated at Pudasjärvi. The majority, more than 80 per cent, of Apetit’s biowaste streams are generated at the Säkylä frozen foods plant.
Most of the Säkylä plant’s biowaste comes from production focusing on harvest time. Some of the side streams of harvest-time production, such as crushed material from peas, can be used as an ingredient in products.
In addition to the reportable biowaste, waste streams are generated from soil and stones that come from the field along with the seasonal vegeta- bles. Their amount corresponds to about a quarter of the total amount of waste from the Säkylä plant. About 65 per cent of waste streams are biowaste, mainly consisting of the side streams of harvest season vegetables. The side streams are mainly being utilised in the production of bioenergy at the bioenergy plant adjacent to the Säkylä frozen foods plant.
Developing material efficiency and raw material efficiency
By investing in new brush scrubbers and steam peelers, Apetit has reduced the amount of peeling waste in its harvest season production. The investments also has a significant impact on water consumption, which decreased by 13 per at the Säkylä plant. A material review has also been conducted at the Säkylä frozen foods plant, on the basis of which Apetit is trying to, among other things, reduce the amount of side streams that would be suitable for food use.
Recovering side streams – Kotimainen Säkylä vegetable balls
The processing of vegetables inevitably generates side streams, such as irregular-sized chunks of root vegetables and parts of peas. These materials are put into good use in the production of Kotimainen Säkylä vegetable balls: the balls contain side streams from domestic peas and carrots, and the broth that adds flavour to the vegetable balls also includes side streams from harvest-time production.