Banana Factory rescues million bananas in just 6 months

The Banana Factory, the world's first banana factory, is celebrating a milestone 6 months after opening by announcing the rescue of the millionth banana from unnecessary destruction. Every year an average of 120,000 tons of bananas are discarded at European ports for cosmetic reasons, but this factory is committed to saving these "rejected" bananas and processing them into "no waste banana puree." With unique processes, The Banana Factory is the only one in Europe able to process bananas with different stages of ripening.

The factory works with major banana importers to obtain bananas directly from the ports. Now that the millionth banana has been saved, The Banana Factory can expand its supply streams and target retailers. Laura Hoogland, founder of the factory, emphasizes that unsold bananas on supermarket shelves are often destroyed, resulting in 800,000 pounds of bananas at a single retail formula.

The shit is bananas

In addition to retailers, wholesalers, fruit processors and distributors can also turn to The Banana Factory to salvage overripe or non-conforming bananas, provided they are full pallets. The factory can process virtually any banana into banana puree, regardless of ripeness. Nick Roelofs, Operations Manager of The Banana Factory, stresses that they want to increase their impact and produce more sustainable banana puree for the food industry.

Taste before you waste

The Banana Factory offers an alternative destination for bananas that do not meet quality standards. Instead of burning them, the factory processes them into banana puree, extending the life of the banana by one year. In this way, the banana eventually reaches consumers again, albeit in a different form.

The plant aims to save 6.5 million bananas by the end of 2023. Parties interested in contributing to this goal and looking for a sustainable solution for their "residual flow of bananas" can contact The Banana Factory. Industrial parties interested in samples of the "no waste banana puree" can contact [email protected]. 

Photo: Laura Hoogland (Founder) and Nick Roelofs (Operations Manager) at The Banana Factory with rescued bananas.