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Pringles, a subsidiary of Kellogg's, drastically reduces its CO2 emissions and water consumption. Johan Van Batenburg, director of the Pringles plant in Mechelen, said, "The installation of the new incinerator reduces our carbon footprint by 35%. With the new water treatment system, we aim to reduce the plant's water footprint by more than 50% and are international pioneers."
Pringles is installing a brand-new incinerator at its Mechelen-South plant that will help reduce carbon emissions. It also makes the plant more neighborhood-friendly, as the installation minimizes noise and odor pollution. This investment has a price tag of 13.5 million euros and contributes to Pringles' goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030.
Johan Van Batenburg, the site's director, explains more: "The installation of the new incinerator has several advantages: it reduces CO2 emissions by 35% and electricity consumption by 80%, it removes thermal oils, has a better production capacity, is easier to maintain and operate and, finally, is compatible with a hydrogen system."
In partnership with Pantarein, a company working on green water treatment solutions for industry, the Pringles factory also includes a new water treatment system. With this installation, Pringles aims to reduce its factory's water footprint by more than 50%. This is done in two ways: first, by purifying its wastewater into potable water and second, by recycling the rest of the water used in the production process. For the latter, think of steam, hot and chilled water needed in the various production steps.
Piet De Langhe, founder of Pantarein, plans to have the system running at full capacity by mid-2023. "We will purify the water in three steps: biological, with ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. We successively separate oils from the water, filter bacteria and pollutants, remove everything biodegradable and finally remove salts and minerals from the water. What remains is pure drinking water. In addition, a residual stream from this purification process is used by a third party to produce energy-rich biogas."
This makes Pringles Mechelen a pioneer within Kellogg's plants. The technologies developed at the site are introduced into Kellogg's international network.
