Tate & Lyle is commemorating the United Nations’ International Day of Zero Waste by unveiling an enhanced partnership.
This collaboration aims to bolster circular value chains and optimize both the environmental impact and commercial viability of its co-products segment. The global ingredients provider has renewed its alliance with Van Triest CirQlar, a branch of ForFarmers, to oversee the sales and distribution of citrus pulp co-products produced at Tate & Lyle’s pectin manufacturing plant in Großenbrode, Germany. This initiative aligns with the company’s goal to achieve 100% beneficial utilization of its waste by 2030.
The pectin from Tate & Lyle is created using upcycled citrus fruit peels, which are by-products of the juice industry. Once pectin is extracted, the remaining nutrient-rich material transforms into citrus pulp co-products that are extensively utilized as animal feed. For over four decades, the Großenbrode facility has been supplying this material to farmers throughout northern Germany.
By incorporating citrus pulp into its ongoing collaboration with Van Triest CirQlar—already responsible for several corn-derived co-products originating from Tate & Lyle’s Koog aan de Zaan facility in the Netherlands—the company is synchronizing its co-product operations across different locations and leveraging specialized market knowledge.
The agreement ensures long-term access to markets, reliable pricing structures, and minimized commercial risks, while also facilitating consistent offtake and improved planning reliability.
Sönke Schweiger, the plant director at Tate & Lyle Großenbrode, remarked: “At our Großenbrode facility, we turn upcycled citrus peels into high value ingredients and give their co-products a second life – that’s circularity in action. With this expanded partnership, we can maximise the commercial and environmental value of our pectin production. By harmonising our co-products models across two sites drawing on external expertise, we can focus on delivering high quality, functional food and drink ingredients that support healthier diets while caring for our planet and making good use of its resources.”
For Van Triest CirQlar, this agreement marks an extension of its citrus pulp initiatives in Germany.
Roel van Haeren, managing director of Van Triest CirQlar Europe, stated: “This partnership aligns with our objective to lead in managed co-product value chains and is an important step in further strengthening our relationship with Tate & Lyle. It is a strategic expansion of our activities in Germany and our citrus pulp position in this market. It’s exactly how Van Triest CirQlar grows – by professionalising co-product streams and turning them into dependable, circular value.”
Announced on the UN’s International Day of Zero Waste, this partnership highlights Tate & Lyle’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, which focuses on waste reduction, resource optimization, and the integration of circularity across its global operations.
By utilizing Van Triest CirQlar’s extensive customer network and proactive market management, Tate & Lyle aims to enhance the realization of value from its co-products while solidifying its leadership role in sustainable ingredient production.
