Blog: Environment Zero waste of the palm oil fruit

Oil palm plants are so productive, every part of it can be used such that nothing is wasted. Even the by-products of palm oil production and processing can be turned into something useful – like energy or animal feed – making oil palm one of nature’s zero waste crops.

1 & 2) Fibre and shells are waste by-products after the oil palm fruit has been crushed to extract the  crude palm oil. They are collected and can be used as boiler fuel in the mills.

3) Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is waste water produced by the mill during the crude palm oil extraction process. It is used as an organic fertiliser in plantations after being treated at our waste water treatment pond to reduce acidity, levels of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). POME can also be used as biogas energy after we process it using a methane capture technique.

4) The oil palm fruit’s flesh (also known as mesocarp) is extracted for palm oil, and the kernel in the centre of the fruit can also be extracted for palm kernel oil. Both palm and palm kernel oil are used in many household products, ranging from cooking oil to detergents.

5) Empty fruit bunches (EFB) are what remain once the individual oil palm fruits have been removed from the bunches. These EFB are composted and reused as organic fertiliser in plantations.

6) Oil palm trees that have been felled can be used as basic material for making furniture.

7) The leaves that have been cut from the oil palm tree are made into mulch and used as fertiliser.

8) The pruned midrib is arranged in the soil when trees are being replanted, to become organic fertiliser. They also help to maintain soil moisture.

Learn more about how we ensure zero waste in the production process here