By Rob McLean 

PepsiCo is using pure biodiesel—B100—to fuel more than 100 of its semitrucks in an effort to be more sustainable.

The maker of Mountain Dew soda, Ruffles potato chips and Doritos corn chips is delivering its expansive food and beverage portfolio across the United States with the help of soy farmers. 

In an effort to be more sustainable, PepsiCo has started using pure biodiesel—B100—for fuel in more than 100 of its semitrucks and has plans to expand its use. Soybean oil is the most commonly used feedstock for the production of biodiesel. 

“U.S. soy farmers are essential partners in PepsiCo’s sustainability journey,” said Adam Buttgenbach, PepsiCo’s director of fleet engineering. “By using low carbon biogenic feedstock for biodiesel, we are reducing our carbon footprint while also supporting sustainable agriculture.” 

Buttgenbach said PepsiCo uses the trucks fueled by B100 in midwestern farming regions such as Topeka, Kansas, and Beloit, Wisconsin. The company chose those locations for a pilot B100 program, he said, to test how well the fuel did in cold weather. 

“In the end, the B100 tractor-trailers operated without the limitations typically seen in our conventional diesel trailer,” he said. 

Equipment modifications are sometimes needed for B100 use, so PepsiCo worked with companies including Optimus Technologies to modify its B100 fleet. While those upgrades require an investment, Buttgenbach said the significant emissions reductions have made the transition worthwhile​. 

PepsiCo is using biodiesel in part because it is an “immediate solution to reducing carbon emissions, especially in areas where electrification is not yet fully scalable,” according to Buttgenbach. 

David Allen, PepsiCo Foods North America’s vice president and chief sustainability officer, said the company is not producing the biodiesel itself. Rather, PepsiCo is working with partners to obtain the fuel. 

“Biodiesel has allowed us to lower our reliance on fossil fuels and decrease the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our logistics network,” Allen said. “This change fits within our larger ambition of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040.” 

Allen said that by investing in biodiesel, PepsiCo is “investing in the agricultural communities that supply this renewable fuel.” 

Biodiesel is just one example of PepsiCo’s reliance on U.S. farmers. Allen said the whole business depends on agriculture. 

“Farmers are the experts and stewards of their land; our responsibility to them goes far beyond just producing our products,” he said. 

Buttgenbach echoed that sentiment, saying the company has a history of working closely with farmers. “Helping to support the men and women who dedicate their lives to growing our food is an important part of our mission each day,” he said.  

Allen described PepsiCo’s sustainability initiative—dubbed PepsiCo Positive or “pep+”—as “the transformation of how we do business.” As part of that program, Allen said the company is working to reduce plastic waste and transition to renewable energy. 

He explained, “Over the past five years, we’ve made notable progress in reducing our carbon footprint thanks to initiatives like transitioning to renewable fuels and improving energy efficiency in our plants.”