From Waste to Wealth: Great Giant Pineapple's Circular Economy Model Revolutionizes Sustainability

Welcome to the world of sustainable innovation and environmental stewardship as we delve into the remarkable story of Great Giant Pineapple. In an era where waste management poses a critical challenge, this Indonesian powerhouse has pioneered a circular economy model that transforms waste into valuable resources.

PT Great Giant Pineapple distributes and produces pineapples. The Company offers pineapple slices, chunks, tidbits, crushed pineapples, and pineapple juice concentrates, as well as provides processing, packaging, and canning services.

PT Great Giant Pineapple is the world second largest pineapple producer and the world largest single integrated facility (plantation, canning factory and processing plant) in one location, employing over 19,000 local people.

GGP cans more than 500,000 tons of pineapples annually and exports 17,000 containers of canned pineapple containers to more than 65 countries. With such a big production capacity it generates huge amount of waste causing a problem for the environment.

What’s more, in its 34,000-hectare site in Terbanggi Besar, Central Lampung, Indonesia, the company complex now comprises a pineapple plantation, pineapple factory, tapioca factory, cattle fattening, bromelain enzyme factory, liquid organic bio-fertilizer plant, composting plant, biogas plant and cogeneration plant.

Understanding fully that the business of such scale will cause massive environmental impact, Great Giant Pineapple developed a zero-waste management system that turns the waste from one business into a valuable product for the other business creating a circular relationship that benefits the environment and increases the profitability of both.

Closed Loop Circular Economy

Recycling Pineapple By- Products

Pineapple cultivation results in approximately 160 tons of by-products per hectare where pineapple peel is used to feed 25,000 cows and pineapple stems are used to generate bromelain enzyme which has many applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Greening the Soil

Through the installation of a liquid organic bio-fertilizer system, Great Giant Pineapple turns 325 tons of manure from the cows per day to fertilizers used in the plantations. The bio-fertilizer consists of microorganisms that enable crops to better uptake nutrients and microbes from the soil.

Minimizing Soil Erosion

The company planted a bamboo conservatory on its plantations that now boasts over 160 species. This helps minimize soil erosion and reduce carbon footprint as bamboo can absorb 35% more carbon dioxide and release 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than any other equivalent hardwood tree.

Reusing Wastewater to Create Energy

The wastewater coming from the pineapple factory and the tapioca factory is used as the raw material for the biogas plant which in turn, produces methane to power the factory.

Results

Fossil fuel usage has reduced by 30%; inorganic fertilizers usage decreased by 40%; product yields increased by 50%

By implementing a zero-waste management system, the company has effectively turned waste from one business into valuable resources for other operations, creating a circular relationship that benefits both the environment and profitability.

What is Circular Economy?

Right now, the world operates in a “linear economy” model that takes, makes waste and is clearly not sustainable. * In a circular economy, however, materials for new products come from old products. As much as possible, everything is reused, re-manufactured or, as a last resort, recycled back into a raw material or used as a source of energy.

*Source: United Nations – Industrial Development Organziation