Fact sheet written by Federico Bertolotti, Oleg Rivoli, Gherardo Ungarelli from the Gastronomic Design Sciences course of the UNISG Bachelor of Science in Gastronomic Sciences and Cultures degree program
Country: Netherlands
Address: PeelPioneers B.V., Koenendelseweg 29A, 5222 BG, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL
Type of reality: Private company
Target audience: B2B
Claim: The circular solution for citrus peels
Website: peelpioneers.nl
Scenario
The European Union has set a target to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030, pushing for circular solutions to close the cycle of by-products. In the Netherlands, more than 250,000 tons of citrus peels are incinerated each year, causing nutrient losses and CO₂ emissions.
The spread of self-service juicers in supermarkets generates huge amounts of orange peels. PeelPioneers was created with the goal of recovering these scraps and turning them into high-value ingredients for food, cosmetics, and cleaning products.
Description
Founded in 2016, PeelPioneers opened Europe’s largest citrus peel refinery in 2023, with a capacity of up to 120,000 kg per day from retail and Horeca.
The peels are ground, separated and processed to extract functional and natural ingredients that are widely used in the food, cosmetics and cleaning product sectors. In the past three years, the company has recovered 35,000 tons of peels, avoiding the emission of 26,000 tons of CO₂, while generating new economic value for the contributors.
Logistics partnerships with Renewi and Seenons ensure collection within 24 hours and complete traceability. This model demonstrates how the circular economy can be implemented on an industrial scale starting with the food sector.
Bibliography
- M. Hes (2025). Turning citrus waste into value-added raw materials. https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/updates/news/turning-citrus-waste-into-value-added-raw-material
- GEA Group. (2024). The appeal of peel: PeelPioneers uses GEA technology to reduce food waste.
https://www.gea.com/en/customer-cases/the-appeal-of-peel-to-reduce-food-waste/ - PeelPioneers. (n.d.). https://peelpioneers.nl/home-en/
- PeelPioneers. (2025). Renewi and PeelPioneers extend partnership.
https://peelpioneers.nl/renewi-and-peelpioneers-extend-partnership-from-orange-peel-to-high-value-ingredient/
