# Ice Cream-Powered Factories New Ben & Jerry's Plant Will Power Itself With Excess Bio Waste By Jordan M | Published 2011-01-30 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ice-cream-powered-factories References: [treehugger](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/ben-jerrys-factory-convert-ice-cream-waste-into-energy.php) & [paques.nl](http://www.paques.nl/?pid=28&action=getNews&newsId=53) Ice-cream powered factories might sound too awesome to be true, but the new [Ben & Jerry's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ben-jerrys-fudgy-flan) factory in the Netherlands will be producing energy from [excess ice cream](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ben-jerrys-chocolate-caramel-brownie-nondairy) via a bio-digester generator by the end of this year. The bio-digester is a Paques' BIOPAQ®AFR, which uses tiny microorganisms that release biogas and purify water when they consume bio waste. The result is that the new plant will be able to produce 40 percent of its green energy quota while also cutting [water and food waste](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dairy-evaporator-ezero). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.5/10 - Popularity: 21% | Activity: 17% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Bio-digesters:** The use of bio-digesters to generate energy and reduce bio waste in food production. - **Excess Food Energy:** Harnessing excess food products to generate renewable energy in factories and manufacturing plants. - **Waste Reduction:** The trend towards zero-waste and sustainable manufacturing practices in the food industry. ### Where This Applies - **Food Manufacturing:** The use of bio-digesters to generate power and reduce food waste can be applied across the food manufacturing industry. - **Renewable Energy:** The use of excess food products like ice cream to create renewable energy can benefit the renewable energy industry. - **Waste Management:** Innovations in waste reduction and management are creating opportunities for companies in the waste management industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Ice Cream-Manufacturer Expansions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ice-cream-factory-retail.md) - [Eco Retail Freezer Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ice-cream-freezer-cabinets.md) - [Upcycled Frozen Desserts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/upcycled-vegan-ice-cream.md) - [Boozy Sustainable Ice Creams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ben-jerrys-dublin-mudslide.md) - [Oat-Based Frozen Desserts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oat-based-1.md) - [Yeast-Based Ice Creams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yeast-based-ice-cream.md) - [Sustainable Ice Cream Lineups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ben-jerrys-x-tonys-chocolonely.md) - [Hemp-Based Ice Creams](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hemp-based-ice-cream.md) - [Carbon-Neutral Food Companies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bobos.md)