PepsiCo India turns to biogas to cut costs, carbon emissions

Gurgaon, India-based PepsiCo India, a division of PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP), has installed a biogas plant at its Pune-based Frito-Lay manufacturing unit that’s now up and running, according to the Economic Times.

It‘s the first plant within Frito-Lay’s global operations to use biogas.

PepsiCo India is using the biogas instead of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for two of its seven processing lines for the snack product Kurkure.

The other lines are expected to continue to be powered by LPG, a mixture of hydrocarbon gases that’s used as a fuel and is considered to be a low carbon emitter.

The plant produces 2,200 million cubic meters (77,700 cubic feet) of gas a day, in place of 200 tons of LPG annually, according to the Economic Times.

The Rs 3.5 crore ($730,000 plant) was commissioned in June, and is now running at full capacity. It is expected to help reduce the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions by 600 tons.

The manufacturing unit also generates 10 to 12 tons of biodegradable waste daily, which is now being used in the biogas plant. It is also expected to save the beverage and snack food giant Rs 1.5 crore ($310,000) on waste disposal.

PepsiCo India also pursues activities in solid waste management, waste treatment, recycling and wind.

Many of the bottle and beverage manufacturing companies including PepsiCo are also moving toward using higher post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) percentages in their products (see The dirty little secret of plastic recycling). PET is, by volume, the largest polymer consumed in the United States.

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