Waste is a No-No in Lamb Weston’s French Fries Factory

It’s difficult to make frozen fries without water and energy. But that doesn’t mean the production process can’t be made more sustainable. Lamb Weston, one of the world’s biggest producers of frozen potato products, recently opened a new factory in Kruiningen in Zeeland, the Netherlands, where everything is designed to reuse as much water and heat as possible. The result: particularly sustainable fries.

It starts with the raw material: the potato. The new factory has advanced sorting facilities to determine which potatoes are most suitable for making fries or other products. That means less loss through cutting, and therefore less waste.

Halving water use 

Thanks to a smart heating system, residual heat is used in the production process to exchange heat and cold

The cut fries go through different production phases, during which water is used in a smart way for multiple processes. This water cascading results in water use being halved for this subprocess. 

Residual heat for the neighbors 

And then, of course, there is energy use. Most of the energy is used to make steam, which is needed to heat the baking oven to 180˚C. Thanks to a smart heating system, Lamb Weston can use residual heat in the new factory and switch hot and cold. In this way, the heat from the steam peeler is reused by coupling it to the steps of the process that require this temperature. And the low-grade heat that remains at the end of the production process goes to the neighbors, Wiskerke Onions, who need to dry their onions at 30˚C.

Ready for hydrogen 

Solar panels on the roof, energy-efficient installations and an office space with an A+++ energy label are all a good fit for Lamb Weston’s sustainable mission. And although the boiler still works on gas, it’s technically ready to switch to hydrogen. So if that becomes a possibility in the future, there won’t be any need for a new boiler.

Mindset

Mariska van Dalen, director sustainability by design and Wouter Smit, vp supply chain at Lamb Weston

Wouter Smit, VP supply chain:

"It’s difficult to look far into the future and predict what the role of hydrogen will be, but we want to keep our options open in that area. In addition, it’s a good idea that we have the option to switch at some point."

He doesn’t need to think long when asked why there’s such a clear focus on sustainability.

Wouter Smit:

"Sustainability is in our DNA. We are a value-driven organization in which, among other things, integrity is central. For us, that means not only operating honestly and transparently but also taking care of the society and environment in which we’re active."

Developing strategy

Many companies wrestle with making their production processes more sustainable. They often begin full of good intentions, but their motivation decreases quickly when it becomes clear what is involved.

Wouter Smit:

"It only works if you’re coming from a place of conviction and if you develop a strategy. That’s why we always look first at which things we can really influence. Only then do we map out our plans."

Flagship

So it’s a practical approach, and they’ve come a long way with it. 

Mariska van Dalen, Director Sustainability by Design at Lamb Weston:

"The advantage of a new factory is that you get the possibility to redesign the production processes and purchase the equipment you need."

She’s an initiator who ensures that the factories’ ambitions are brought to reality.

Not just a fad

Mariska van Dalen:

"Our focus on sustainability isn’t a fad. It’s a permanent program. Sustainability is an integral part of our company’s vision. That’s not always easy; even though investing in sustainability can save costs in the long term, it isn’t always possible to get the business case right."

"When that’s the case, it’s good to have a management team that not only looks at the money needed for an investment, but also at the broader picture and the importance of sustainable business operations for the future."

A good example of this is the sustainable step Lamb Weston took at the end of 2024: introducing packaging comprising 60% bio-circular plastic made of used cooking oil for the retail segment.

A topic of conversation during job interviews

Of course, the company needed to bring in new employees for the new factory – and do this while there are shortages on the labor market. Yet they found new employees relatively quickly, thanks in part to the company’s sustainable image. 

Van Dalen says it’s noticeable during the job application process. Mariska van Dalen:

"Whether it’s a leadership or factory operator position, we clearly see during interviews that the candidates have read our sustainability report."

"And it doesn’t really matter whether they’re young or old: they all say it’s an important and attractive aspect. So our focus on sustainability is helping us in this respect too."