Dutch Glycerin refinery accused of years-long illegal waste dumping near Belgian border
A glycerine producer based in Farmsum allegedly dumped millions of kilograms of waste salt over several years near the Belgian-Dutch border. The activity caused severe soil contamination. According to reporting by Follow the Money and findings from Dutch environmental authorities, the company falsely presented the material as a usable soil improver in order to avoid disposal costs and environmental regulations. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has now opened a criminal investigation.
The company, Dutch Glycerin Refinery (DGR), operates at Chemie Park Delfzijl in Farmsum and is part of the Musim Mas Group, a global palm oil company with about 37,000 employees involved in the production and processing of palm oil derivatives.
Over a three-year period, about 5 million kilograms of waste salt — roughly 200 truckloads — were collected and transported by a logistics company based in Noord-Brabant. According to investigators, the material was ultimately spread in areas near the Belgian-Dutch border. Authorities say the salt was treated as a product rather than waste, allowing the company to avoid disposal costs estimated at about 1 million dollars per year.
DGR allegedly worked with manure trader Peet W., who has previously been convicted in a separate manure fraud case. Dutch media outlet BN DeStem also reported that a former participant in the television program Boer zoekt Vrouw is among suspects in the broader investigation.
In February, DGR told Follow the Money it was “shocked” by earlier reporting on the allegations. However, a later reconstruction by journalists found the company had been informed at least a year earlier about concerns regarding the handling of the waste salt.
An investigative report by the Omgevingsdienst Groningen strongly disputes DGR’s account. It concludes that the company was effectively disposing of waste material while labeling it as a by-product in order to avoid stricter waste regulations and reduce costs.
According to the report, DGR has acknowledged that demand for road salt had disappeared and that it had no control over what intermediary companies did with the material. The company also paid for its removal, which regulators say further supports the conclusion that it was waste rather than a usable product. During the investigation, DGR maintained it had permission to market the substance as a soil improver.
