harvesting sugar beets for project ‘Made in Grunn’

_C6H10O5   │  ₂₀₁₆

Since the European Union will abolish the sugar quota in October 2017, the restrictions on the amount of sugar produced will be released. Farmers will be able to increase the cultivation of sugar beets. What will that mean for the value of the Dutch sugar beet? Could we start rethinking its application?

C₆H₁₀O₅ is a research project focused on a revaluation of beet pulp, a by-product of the sugar production. Beet pulp, which consists mainly of Cellulose (C₆H₁₀O₅), is generally used as stock feed.

By conducting experiments with the pulp, I found qualities of the material both physically and aesthetically. As I explored the potential of the by-product, I have discovered ways to fold, glue, color, and regulate its flexibility and hardness. One of the outcomes of my experiments is the possible application of a foldable and biodegradable package made from sugar beet pulp.

Could new applications for this by-product influence the value of the sugar beet?

folding experiment with glycerin / material: sugar beet pulp, glycerin, red beet juice

extracting the sugar beet pulp material from the sugarbeet

folding and gluing the sugarbeet material into a shape  /  material: sugar beet pulp, glycerin, red beet juice

microscopic image of the material      /     material: sugar beet pulp and plants     /        light reveals different structures in the material

folded package from sugar beet pulp

coloring experiments with red beet juice