Hegins, Pa.-based potato distributor Keystone Potato Products says it has received the 2024 Green Plant of the Year award from Food Processing Magazine.
The 2024 award, based on reader nominations, honors Keystone’s commitment to environmental sustainability, innovation and eco-friendly food production processes, according to a news release. Keystone said it is focused on implementing sustainability at every phase of the potato planting and harvesting processes to help yield healthy crops each year. Established in 2003 by the Masser Family of Cos., Keystone represents a collective union of over 40 and successful potato growers from the mid-Atlantic region.
Keystone is recognized as one of the most sustainable food processing plants in the eastern U.S., the release said. The facility employs advanced technology and eco-conscious processes across its three main operations:
- A potato dehydration line that transforms off-grade and poor-quality potatoes — destined for landfills — into potato flakes and flour.
- A fresh-cut plant that produces a variety of fresh-cut potato products, including fries, dice, slices, wedges and whole peeled potatoes.
- Two automated potato packaging lines for large retail partners.
Keystone says its sustainability initiatives are rooted in turning waste into valuable resources through energy conservation, water resourcing and waste reduction efforts.
To minimize the facility’s reliance on traditional energy sources, the Keystone plant is powered by methane gas from the nearby Commonwealth Environmental Systems landfill, one of Pennsylvania’s largest and fastest-growing landfills, the release said. The methane powers a boiler that supplies steam, hot water and heat to the plant.
Keystone’s environmental efforts also include unique water resourcing; the plant draws water from an abandoned underground coal mine, bringing to the surface water impaired by iron and manganese, the release said. Keystone said it operates a municipal water treatment facility to purify the water, making it suitable for drinking and food processing. Once the water is used in production, it is treated through an anaerobic digestion process and released into a nearby stream, ultimately contributing cleaner water to the Chesapeake Bay.
Additionally, Keystone has achieved a zero-waste milestone. All peel, bin, and mash waste generated by its potato processing lines are repurposed as feed for local Pennsylvania cattle farmers, ensuring no potato by-products are sent to landfills, the release said. Keystone said this commitment to resourcefulness underscores its dedication to environmental stewardship.
“We are honored to receive the Green Plant of the Year award for 2024,” Dave Masser, CEO of Masser Family Cos. and a member of Keystone Potato Products board of directors, said in the release. “Our team is committed to finding innovative ways to protect the environment while producing high-quality potato products. This award motivates us to keep striving for additional sustainability solutions.”
