To extract sugar from sugar beet, the beet are sliced into thin strips known as cossettes, and conveyed to a diffuser full of hot water. In the next step, the sugar is extracted from the beet in the diffusion tower. The cossettes are then pressed to make pressed pulp, a good animal feed.

A hectare of sugar beet can capture roughly the same amount of CO₂ that ten cars emit every year. The beet use this CO₂ to produce sugar. As part of this assimilation process, the plants also make oxygen. A hectare of sugar beet produces more oxygen than six hectares of forest.

Farmers can spray granulated sugar dissolved in water on wheat when the head begins to form. The wheat grains absorb the sugar. This improves the quality of the protein in the wheat and thus the baking properties of wheat flour.

Water makes up three-quarters of the beet. It is released during sugar production. When purified, it is perfect to irrigate greenhouses. The treatment plant makes sure the water meets all the quality standards and then stores it. When the greenhouses have exhausted their rainwater reserves, the treatment plant pumps up the treated process water and pipes it to the greenhouses.

Lime is used to purify non-sugars out of the raw juice during sugar production. A by-product of this process is agricultural lime, a combination of calcium carbonate and organic matter. Beet growers use this lime fertiliser to maintain the pH of their fields and improve soil structure.

Beekeepers often use a mix of granulated sugar and water to replace the honey they take from their bee hives. It is a source of energy for the bees to build honey comb and keep the brood at the right temperature. For bees, sugar is the cleanest, most digestible food. In the winter the bees cluster together to keep the hive warm. To maintain the temperature, they need energy. They get it from sugar fondant – a mix of icing sugar, glucose syrup and water.

Lime is used to purify non-sugars out of the raw juice during sugar production. A by-product of this process is a mixture of calcium carbonate and organic matter: agricultural lime. Mushroom growers use it as a casing soil. It keeps the top soil moist for longer and more consistently and encourages the growth of new mushrooms.

When the beet are harvested, the foliage is left on the ground where it acts as a green fertiliser. The leaves nourish the soil with oxygen, phosphate and organic matter. This improves the soil’s fertility for the next crop and less artificial fertiliser is needed.

Manufacturers of liqueurs and mixed drinks add liquid sugar to their products not only for the sweet taste but also to enhance the taste of the other ingredients and do justice to their flavours. Sugar also gives the drinks a fuller mouthfeel.

Boil sugar beet juice, thicken it and voilà: a syrup that tastes somewhere between sweet, slightly bitter and pleasantly tart. This unrefined sugar beet juice still contains all the minerals from the beet, including iron. Blend it with apple syrup for a characteristically tart apple syrup (30% apple, 70% sugar beet).

An apple turnover is not complete without a decorative coating of coarse granulated sugar. Sugar is also added to the filling of apples and raisins to slightly sweeten the sour taste of the apples.

Chocolate bars are often a casing of chocolate with a filling of nougat, nuts, caramel and the like. Sugar acts as a flavouring in chocolate. Sugar syrups give the filling an enjoyable soft structure and a longer shelf life.

Bread stays fresh for longer thanks to beet fibres from the pulp. Beet pulp is a natural bread improver that retains moisture for longer. It enriches bread with fibres. Beet pulp also lowers the amount of carbohydrate in the bread so that it has fewer calories. With a neutral colour and taste, it works without being noticed. It is also gluten free.

Brownies owe their colour not only to the chocolate but also to dark soft sugar. The rich taste of brownies and its characteristic texture (soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside) are also due to soft sugar.

Candy floss on a stick is a special treat. The floss is made from hot molten sugar spun in a special centrifuge and twirled onto a stick.

Sugar derivatives such as glucose and fructose are used to sweeten cereal bars and also to hold the ingredients together. They have a neutral colour and sweet taste and enhance the healthy cereal ingredients’ taste and chewiness. Glucose and fructose contain the same amount of calories as sugar. The calorie count can be reduced by using other sugar derivatives such as allulose and arabinose.

During two stages of the production process, champagne houses add a ‘liqueur de tirage’ to the still wine. This mixture of sugar, yeast and wine creates the secondary fermentation in the bottle and the bubbles in the wine. Yeast turns sugar into alcohol and induces carbonation.

Ground granulated sugar or icing sugar gives texture and body to a bar of chocolate. Chocolate also owes its sweet taste to sugar; it softens the bitter natural taste of cocoa.

Entire cookery books have been written about some chocolate spreads. Taste and smoothness are the big attraction. The manufacturers of chocolate spreads use ground granulated sugar to sweeten the spread and give it its delicious mouthfeel.

Chocolates are complex works of art, with sugar playing many roles. Chocolate thanks its sweet taste to granulated sugar; it softens the bitterness of cocoa. Icing sugar gives the filling a sweet taste and an enjoyable mouthfeel. Invert sugar syrup lengthens the shelf life by slowing down crystallisation.

Granulated sugar adds texture and taste to crème brûlée. The custard is finished with a layer of caramelised granulated sugar.

A lightly baked croissant would not look the same without sugar. Granulated sugar is used in the croissant dough. It makes the croissant rise and gives it its attractive colour and full taste.

Curry paste is a wet spice mixture that is used to prepare curry dishes. Depending on the number of peppers it contains, the paste can be milder or hotter. Granulated sugar supports the range of tastes in the paste.

Icing sugar gives cakes an appealing snowy appearance. An attractive addition to any cake, especially in the winter and for treats during the December holidays, from apple cake to Christmas stollen.

Molasses is a medium to grow baker’s yeast. The yeast extracts produced in this process act as flavour enhancers in dry sausages. They add umami taste and can replace salt.

From mocha brown to bubble gum pink, any colour can be used in the icing on an eclair or mille-feuille. Icing sugar is the first ingredient for the glaze. Mixed with water and glucose syrup, it forms an attractive smooth paste. Granulated sugar is included in the filling of baker’s cream.

The caramel taste of fudge and the pleasant mouthfeel are due to soft sugar. Dark soft sugar adds colour to the fudge and gives it a sweet taste.

A tasty, firm foam topping on iced coffee can be made using protein from beet leaves. Whipping the protein from beet leaves creates the foam. Plant-based protein from beet leaves can replace chicken egg protein.

Sugar provides an extra sweet, natural taste of course. But it also preserves. Granulated sugar extracts water from the fruit, which increases the dry matter and the jam, low-sugar jam (50% less sugar) and preserves (thicker than jam and with whole fruit) keep for longer.

Sugar is a multitasker in ketchup. It enhances the sweet taste of tomatoes and tones down the sour elements. Sugar attracts moisture so that there is less for micro-organisms. This lengthens the ketchup’s shelf life. Sugar also binds the sauce and gives ketchup its shiny appearance. Cellulose from beet pulp makes ketchup thinner so that it can be pumped out of the bottle more easily.

First used as a medicine against coughs and sore throats, but for the past few decades a popular sweet in northern Europe. Molasses is an important flavouring in liquorice sweets and gives them structure. It also produces the well-known dark colour.

Icing sugar is a key ingredient when making successful macarons. It gives them a creamy, not sandy mouthfeel. Together with eggs, granulated sugar is the basis for the meringue shells, sweet tasting with a delicate structure.

Molasses gives marinades their characteristic flavour. It adds a dark colour and a savoury taste. Marinated meat, such as satay, has a well- balanced umami taste and grills to a deep brown thanks to the maillard reaction.

Chicken wings and spareribs are not complete without a dark brown crust somewhere between crunchy and sticky. The marinades often contain soft sugar. When the meat is being prepared the sugar caramelises to give the meat its rich flavour and attractive colour.

Think of a boulangerie in a village square in France with a window full of meringues. They are made from egg white and granulated sugar. Plant-based protein from beet leaves can replace chicken egg protein. During preparation, the sugar dissolves into the egg white to form a firm and airy mixture. If not enough sugar is added, the firm and airy mixture can collapse in the oven.

Muesli sometimes contains sugar for a sweeter taste. Different syrups have their own distinct taste characteristics. Sugars and syrups are added to cruesli so that the components stick to each other. After drying they are broken into bite size pieces.

Granulated sugar and (plant-based) proteins are key ingredients when baking muffins. The sugar gives them structure, taste and colour. The plant-based proteins from beet leaves replace chicken egg protein. Proteins form a strong matrix during baking that gives the muffins their elasticity and strength.

Pouring syrup is made from the juice of sugar beet. Many people eat it on pancakes but it is also nice in yoghurt and porridge.

Canning factories add sugar to peaches, pineapple and other canned fruits not only to enhance the taste but also to preserve the fruit. It prevents or delays the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeasts.

The fibres from beet pulp are a good filler in sausages. Beet pulp puts fibres on the menu. Beet pulp fibre resembles fat to make vegetarian sausages more succulent. The fibres have a neutral colour and taste and are gluten free. They can absorb the taste, proteins and liquids, which are released again when the sausage is chewed

Soft sugar gives a distinctive taste to a dish. Not only to sweet ones but also to savoury dishes. Ratatouille and boeuf bourguignon, for instance, take on a caramel-like flavour when soft sugar is added.

Children love sticks of rock and giant lollies not just for the sweet sugary taste but also for the mouthfeel. The brittle inside in combination with a crunchy outer coating. Sugar gives rock and lollies this structure.

You don’t need to shake before use. Cellulose made from beet pulp can act as a structurant that prevents the small particles in salad dressing from sinking to the bottom. Granulated sugar balances the sweet/sour taste.

Liquid sugar gives salads like egg salads and tuna salads their smooth texture, taste and mouthfeel. The salads also have a longer shelf life. Liquid sugar reduces water activity. This means less water is present for micro-organisms to grow in.

Sugar beet puree can replace bananas or apples as a filling in smoothies. Beet puree gives smoothies a slightly sweet taste and adds fibres. It also binds the smoothie slightly and when homogenised under pressure adds an extra smooth mouthfeel.

Adding sugar to a soft drink not only creates a sweet taste, it also adds body, which gives an enjoyable mouthfeel.

Sugar not only gives sorbets their taste. Invert sugar syrup lowers the freezing point of the ice. The sorbet is then easier to serve in ice cream parlours. Invert sugar syrup also improves the structure of the ice.

In sweet beers like old brown and rosé beers, granulated sugar supports the taste. But brewers also add granulated sugar to ferment the beers. There is then enough yeast food to produce a higher alcohol percentage.

Molasses gives soy sauce its distinctive character. By adding molasses to the sauce, it develops a balanced flavour (umami) and syrupy structure.

Anyone who does not like the pure taste of tea or coffee can sweeten the drink with a sugar cube or a spoonful of granulated sugar.

Making syrup waffles is a skill all of its own. Granulated sugar in the dough gives the super-thin waffle its biscuit-like structure and colour. The syrup between the two waffles provides the characteristic taste and shelf life. The syrup is a blend of several components, such as sugar syrup, glucose syrup and invert sugar syrup.

Yeast extract is a flavouring obtained from, for instance, baker’s yeast. Baker’s yeast grows on molasses. Yeast extracts work as flavour enhancer, they give foods like tacos an umami taste. The use of yeast extracts enables food companies to make products with less salt.

Cellulose from beet pulp can defy gravity. It stops the solids in the soup sinking to the bottom. Granulated sugar strengthens the tomatoes’ sweet taste tones and weakens the sour taste tones, making the soup as a whole better in balance.

Beet leaves contain high quality protein that can be used instead of chicken egg protein. In a vegetarian burger, the protein from beet leaves can replace the chicken egg protein that usually binds the ingredients in the burger.

It is no easy task to give vegan mayonnaise its silky smooth shiny texture. But you can with pectin from beet. Pectin is added to stabilise the oil and water emulsion and keep it stable for longer (longer shelf life). Cellulose from beet pulp can replace up to 30% of the fat.

Large coarse grains of sugar, preferably slightly molten, give a Liège waffle its characteristic mouthfeel and taste. The grains are pearl sugar. Granulated sugar is also used in Liège waffles to give the waffle dough its sweet taste.

Several kinds of sugar are used to make wedding cakes such wonderful pièces de résistance. Granulated sugar gives the cake taste and structure. Icing sugar gives the glaze a refined mouthfeel. The invert sugar syrup prevents crystallisation in the marzipan and keeps it soft for longer.

Granulated sugar is a multifunctional ingredient in sweets like wine gums and gummy bears. It bulks out their volume and gives them their sweet taste. It also lengthens their shelf life.

Molasses is a medium to produce yeast. Under the right conditions, the sugars in the molasses begin to ferment into yeast. The yeast is then dried and processed into instant yeast.

Granulated sugar gives yoghurt drinks their sweet taste. The addition of granulated sugar also gives a fuller mouthfeel.

Micro-organisms that produce antibiotics work well in a medium like molasses. Molasses helps in the fight against pathogens.

The substances that control dandruff are very small particles. Cellulose from beet pulp carries these particles. It ensures they remain mixed with all the other ingredients. A sustainable alternative to microplastics, which usually give shampoos their structure.

When new cells are grown, the body cleans up the dead ones. That is why galactaric acid works so well in skin creams. Galactaric acid specifically encourages the growth of new cells.

Baby wipes must be soft and clean the skin effectively. Glycol can be made from granulated sugar. It is an important plant-based building block for polyester. By using plant-based glycol, less oil is needed to make the polyester.

The luxury of a thick covering of bubbles and stepping out of the bath with smooth and silky skin. These are the promises of bath foam. Betaine keeps them both. It causes the foam. The skin tolerates it well. And the foam leaves a protective layer on the skin.

A clean and soft skin, a natural tint and a younger appearance. That is the result of soft scrubbing with granulated sugar. The grains remove the upper layer of skin. Sugar absorbs water, leaves a sweet scent and is gentle on the skin.

Betaine is included in many personal care products because of its many beneficial properties. In concealer, it regulates moisture. By adding betaine to concealer, the cream does not block the pores but lets the skin breathe.

A bottle of cough mixture is a standard feature in many families’ medicine cupboard. The ingredients often have a bitter taste. Manufacturers add granulated sugar or liquid sugar to mask the bitterness of the other ingredients.

Granulated sugar acts as an antifreeze in vaccines, also in certain types of COVID-19 vaccines. These vaccines are stored at temperatures below freezing point. Granulated sugar (sucrose) stops the growth of large ice crystals when the vaccine is frozen. This is necessary because the crystals could damage the lipid nanoparticles in the frozen vaccine.

Bottles of disinfectant hand gel are now a common feature in many handbags, glove compartments and at all public entrances to buildings. Bio-ethanol made from thick juice and thin juice is used to make alcohol, the main component of disinfectant gels.

Effervescent tablets with vitamins often contain yeast extract. Processed yeast extract is a very good source of proteins, vitamins and minerals suitable for food supplements. Molasses are the medium on which yeast flourishes.

Betaine is a versatile ingredient. In conditioners it makes the hair smooth. Betaine is included in many personal care products because of its many useful properties: betaine produces a mild foam, moisturises the hair, fills wrinkles and supports the natural protection of the skin. And it softens and smooths the hair.

Depending on the other ingredients in a product, the many beneficial properties attributed to betaine are more or less pronounced. On the tender skin under the eyes, betaine reduces swelling and has a calming and hydrating effect.

Fine grains of granulated sugar act as a natural, delicate scrub to remove loose skin from the lips and reduce sore spots. Scrubbing with the fine grains also hydrates the lips.

Lozenges can help relieve a sore throat or cough (they dissolve mucus). But the active ingredients often taste bitter. Lozenge manufacturers therefore add granulated sugar or invert sugar to mask the unpleasant taste of the other ingredients.

A smooth surface that is easier to swallow. A sweet additive to mask a medicine’s active ingredient. Sugar-coated pills are more agreeable to take. The galactaric molecule extracted from beet pulp delivers the medicine evenly. It delivers biomedical molecules via the stomach and the blood vessels to the place where they do their work: relieving a headache.

Betaine is a natural moisturiser for use in face creams. It reduces fine wrinkles and protects the skin from irritations. Cellulose from beet pulp makes sure the ingredients in the cream are mixed correctly so that the cream spreads easily and is absorbed quickly.

Cellulose from beet pulp makes sure the oil particles in night cream remain evenly spread out to prevent a layer of oil forming on top of the cream. When properly mixed, the ingredients make the cream more pleasant to use. The cream spreads better and is absorbed more readily. The cellulose replaces the use of microplastics.

Betaine from sugar beet is a very suitable ingredient in sports food and food supplements. It promotes the breakdown of homocysteine, too much of which is bad for the heart and blood vessels. Betaine helps improve physical performance; it boosts the strength and stamina of muscles.

Women have to be sure that sanitary towels are absorbent, do not leak and are soft on the skin. That’s why sanitary towels are made from a series of layers, each with its own function. All the layers contain polyester, made from oil. This traditional polyester can be replaced with a more sustainable alternative. Glycol can be made from granulated sugar, an important plant-based raw material for polyester. By using plant-based glycol, less oil is needed to make the polyester.

Shampoo is easy to use thanks to the cellulose from beet pulp. It ensures that all ingredients remain mixed together and that the shampoo flows out of the bottle. And it’s sustainable because using cellulose cuts the need for microplastics.

Thanks to cellulose from beet pulp, shower gel flows easily from the tube and can be applied straightaway. As a structurant, the cellulose mixes water, fragrances, foamers and other ingredients. A sustainable and healthy solution to replace microplastics.

Sugar is a soft, safe, effective and natural ingredient to remove body hair. Sugar is sticky. Strips with a paste of sugar, water and lemon juice remove all the hair when they are pulled off the skin. Sugar waxes are effective on all parts of the body.

The solid particles that give suntan lotion its sun protection factor (SPF), the pigment that gives the lotion its white colour and water and oil in the lotion do not mix well. Cellulose from beet pulp stabilises the formula and improves the dosage properties. It ensures that all the components remain mixed and form a consistent compound that spreads easily. Microplastics are no longer needed.

Granulated sugar is a bulking agent. It increases the shelf life of vitamin gummies and gives them a sweeter taste. Sugar has yet another function in sport gummies: it adds to the stock of glycogen. Glycogen is glucose that is stored in the liver and muscles. It is a source of rapid energy during sport.

A paste of icing sugar with iso-betadine gel is used to treat wounds. The gel disinfects but is actually only needed to make the sugar attach to the wound. Icing sugar is an effective agent to kill bacteria. Sugar paste is also inexpensive and the wound usually heals without a scar. Furthermore, the skin is more resilient when it has healed.

Most bath tubs are often made from composites. Composites are produced from two or more constituent materials, usually plastic reinforced with fibre. This strong material can be moulded into many shapes. The binding agent, the matrix, can be plastic made from plant-based glycol from granulated sugar. Glycol can replace some of the petroleum-based polyester component.

You don’t want your cleaning agent to run off the tiles when you are cleaning the bathroom. A 100% natural product made from beet pulp, cellulose, will stop it. It makes the cleaning agent cling to the tiles so that it does not run down the wall (vertical cling).

The Bright Beet Book is just one of the many products that can be made using the components of the beet. It has been printed on paper made using beet fibres. The paper has a significantly lower environmental footprint as its production emits less CO₂ and particulates and requires less farm land. What’s more, as the beet are grown locally, fewer transport movements are needed.

Polyester and polyurethane can replace suede as a fabric to cover car seats. Thanks to their extremely thin fibres the fabrics are as soft as velvet, durable and easy to clean. Glycol from granulated sugar is an important plant-based component to make polyester fabric. Granulated sugar also acts as a catalyst in the chemical process to make polyurethane.

Molasses is the raw material for citric acid. Fermenting molasses produces citrate. Adding sulphuric acid and other acids to the citrate creates citric acid. This acid is used in many cleaning agents because it kills bacteria and moulds. It is an excellent detergent and disinfectant.

Fibres can be spun from molten polyester to make clothes. Polyester is currently made from petroleum but the glycol in polyester can also be made from granulated sugar. This more sustainable polyester can replace petroleum-based polyester in full. Making clothes more sustainable.

After the beet have been washed, biogas can be made from the organic matter in the process water, such as broken beet tips and sugars dissolved in the water. The biogas can be upgraded and fed into the national gas transmission network as green gas. So you can fry an egg on ‘green beet gas’!

Components extracted from beet pulp are used to make water softening salt tablets. Water softening salt tablets work by removing calcium from the water. Soft water lengthens the life of equipment and machines that come into contact with water, such as dishwashers and washing machines, both in industry and in the home.

A biopolymer (cellulose) can be extracted from the pulp. It acts as a natural thickener that improves the detergent's dosage properties and stability. It is also the carrier for the pearlising agent. The mother of pearl shine it creates makes the product more attractive.

How do you press dishwasher tablets? How do you make them stable and dissolve at the right moment? How does the powder flow? These are important questions when making and using dishwasher tablets. A multifunctional component of the beet pulp can answer many of them. As it is made from beet pulp, it is 100% natural and biodegradable.

Dog and cat food must not crumble in the bag. Manufacturers of dog and cat food use molasses as a binding agent or glue to hold the various ingredients together.

Cellulose from beet pulp acts as a structurant in fabric softeners. A structurant spreads the encapsulated fragrance evenly through the fabric softener. The cellulose replaces the microplastics that usually perform this function. Without microplastics, the fabrics are washed more sustainable.

Granulated sugar acts as a catalyst in the chemical process to make polyurethane. Polyurethane is used to make polyether foam, which is frequently used in children’s matrasses, sofas and many other items.

Broken beet tips, the sugars remaining in the process water and everything that remains after the beet have been washed can be turned into biogas. The biogas is fed into the national gas transmission network. Many houses are heated with this green ‘beet gas’.

A leather coat, bag, shoes, sofa, pectin makes everything looks better. Thanks to pectin from the beet the dye penetrates the leather better. Another advantage: pectin strengthens the intensity of the colour so that less dye is needed for the same effect.

A liquid abrasive contains many tiny particles that must not sink to the bottom of the bottle. Cellulose from beet pulp acts as a thickener that produces a uniform structure with an even distribution of the particles. And it makes it easier to rinse the abrasive off the cleaned surface. Clean and sustainable. Microplastics are no longer necessary.

Liquid detergents include substances that react against each other. Encapsulation is a method to stop them reacting. This method is for example used for fragrances. A biopolymer from beet pulp (cellulose) carries these ‘encaps’, provides stability and improves the dosage properties.

Glycol from granulated sugar is an important plant-based building block for polyester. Polyester fabric fibres are the perfect material for net curtains. The fabric is exceedingly strong and keeps its shape and colour. It hardly shrinks. As the fabric does not absorb anything, polyester is an anti-allergen and easy to clean with a little water and detergent. Now that’s environmentally friendly!

What is in a sachet of cut flower food? That’s right: granulated sugar (amongst other things). Young plants that produce few sugars through photosynthesis can also benefit from the carbon in sugar. Smart gardeners use sugar water to encourage garden plants to flower. But in moderation, too much is bad for the plant.

Beet pulp can replace virgin fibres and recycled paper in compression moulding. The chosen mix determines how strong the end product will be and its potential applications: from egg boxes to plant pots and drinking cups. All the products are biodegradable.

Polylactic acid is a bioplastic made from sugar. Fermenting sugar from sugar beet or corn produces lactic acid molecules, the building blocks for polylactic acid. This type of plastic is known as PLA. It can be used to make dinner tableware. PLA dinner tableware is safe to use in microwaves and dish washers. The source – plants instead of petroleum – is better for the environment. And PLA degrades better than traditional plastics.

Granulated sugar has a double role in rain clothes. Glycol from granulated sugar is one of the raw materials for the polyester fabric fibre that rain clothes are made of. If the rain clothes are coated with polyurethane, the catalyst in the chemical process that made it was granulated sugar.

Shoe laces are made using thin but strong fibres. The fibres are cross-braided so that the laces are strong and hard-wearing. Shoe laces have to stretch slightly so that they tie better and the shoe fits more comfortably. Many shoe laces are made from polyester cotton. Polyester made using glycol from granulated sugar is more sustainable than polyester made entirely from petroleum.

Polyester made with glycol from granulated sugar is more sustainable than petroleum-based polyester. Polyester fabric is excellent for sports clothes. The curved fibre gives the fabric its elasticity. The fabric is light, smooth, sustainable, keeps its shape and colour and is resistant to sweat.

Glycol, an important plant-based building block for polyester, can be made from granulated sugar. Polyester is used in sports shoes. Manufacturers often use it in combination with other fabrics in the uppers of the shoes. But the lining is usually 100% polyester.

Bikinis and trunks are made from a variety of fibres. One is polyester fabric fibre. Polyester fabrics are strong, smooth and supple. Polyester made using glycol from granulated sugar can be used instead of polyester made solely from petroleum. That’s more sustainable.

An even colour, good cover and no mess. That is the ambition of everyone who paints a wall. Cellulose from beet pulp is a painter’s friend. As a structurant in the paint, it prevents pigment particles sinking to the bottom of the can. On a roller, it reduces splashes and produces a more even finish.

Galactaric acid is a natural compound that can protect metals against rust. It is a sustainable alternative in the world of anti-corrosion agents, which tend to have a poor reputation. Many other agents that protect against corrosion are harmful to health.

Glycol made from granulated sugar lowers the freezing point of water and so prevents ice formation. It is an active ingredient not only in antifreeze for cars. Antifreeze with glycol made from granulated sugar is also used by maintenance services to de-ice aircraft by removing ice from aeroplanes before they take off.

Water makes up three-quarters of the beet. It is released during sugar production. Some of this water is used to thoroughly wash the next delivery of beet and remove the tare soil.

Bio-ethanol is made throughout the year from thick juice. During the beet campaign it is also made from thin juice and sometimes from molasses. Bio-ethanol is a raw material for biofuels and the chemical industry. It is an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil oil products. Vehicles that drive on bio-ethanol emit less CO2 than petrol driven vehicles.

Components of the beet pulp can help clean up oil pollution in surface water. The oil binds to the components so that it is easier to remove it from the water. These sustainable plant-based components help keep our lakes and seas clean.

Wind turbine blades are made from composites that have to withstand high tensile and compressive forces. Composites are made from several materials, often fibre-reinforced plastics. A non-toxic, plant-based component for wind turbine blades is monopropylene glycol made from granulated sugar.

Crosslinking strengthens coatings by bonding polymer chains to each other. Galactaric acid from beet pulp can be adapted so that it works as a crosslinker in natural coatings. The coatings protect soft drink and vegetable containers against rust and cracking.

Cars can drive on fuel produced from beet. The name of the fuel reveals how much bio-ethanol has been added: E10 contains up to 10% bio-ethanol, E5 between 0% and 5%. In South America, cars with ‘flex fuel’ engines can drive on pure bio-ethanol (E100). Bio-ethanol is produced by fermenting sugar, maize or wheat. The alcohol that is produced in this way is a form of renewable energy.

Residual matter from the beet (such as broken beet tips) and the sugars present in the process water are used to make biogas (CNG). This green gas is an excellent vehicle fuel. It powers the bulk trucks that carry the sugar to its final destination.

Broken beet tips and other residual matter from the beet plus the sugars in the process water are all used to make biogas. The sugar factories use this green gas to generate steam. This reduces their natural gas consumption by about 10% per annum.

The sun heats the fluid that flows through a thermal solar panel. The fluid provides the house with hot water. By adding glycol made from granulated sugar to the fluid, the heat is transferred more efficiently.

Composite materials consist of two or more components, often plastic reinforced with fibre. Composites are strong. The fibres resist tensile forces. The material that binds the fibres together (the matrix) resists compressive forces and shearing forces. Polyester made using glycol from granulated sugar is a good matrix for composite materials that are used to make lifeboats. Glycol from granulated sugar is an important plant-based building block for polyester and is more sustainable than polyester made entirely from petroleum.

A team from Eindhoven University of Technology has built a completely circular car. The chassis and the interior consist of particularly strong sandwich panels made from bioplastic based on sugar and flax fibre: Organic, extremely light and strong enough. Production used six times less energy than aluminium or carbon, the customary light-weight materials used in the car industry.

Without micro-organisms, such as yeasts, and functional bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria, we wouldn’t have foods and beverages such as bread, yoghurt and beer. Micro-organisms need nutrients to grow. Sugar-rich molasses are an excellent source.

The fibres in the beet pulp can be used as a raw material to produce paper. The sustainable fibres can replace 20% of the wood fibre in the bags. The environmental footprint of the paper is therefor much lower. The paper is strong enough to make paper bags from it.

Most returnable plastic bottles are PET bottles made using glycol currently produced from fossil oil. PET bottles can be recycled, but not indefinitely. New plastic is therefore always needed. Glycol can also be made from granulated sugar. Being recyclable and plant-based, it’s twice as good.

Paper made from beet pulp can be recognised from the small bumps in the paper. They are cork particles from the skin of the beet. The paper is suitable for publishers seeking a visible, sustainable image with a recognisable sustainable raw material for their printed matter.

Some soil (tare) is still attaching to the beet roots when they arrive at the sugar factory. It is washed off the beet and then stored so that it can be returned to the beet farms, used in greenhouses and industrial estates, used to raise or build roads, dykes, noise barriers and golf courses.

Making paper out of beet pulp is really rewarding. Beet paper is circular and is a food grade material. Beet meets beet: it is already being used to make sugar bags. Other foodstuffs will follow. Sustainable beet pulp fibre can replace 20% of the wood fibre in the bags.

Table tops can be made sustainable by using a top layer of organic matter. The top also gives the table a sustainable appearance. The organic material can also be used for floors, doors, wall panels and cabinets. The top layer can consist of beet pulp bound together with an adhesive made from potato starch or plant-based resin. Not only is the appearance sustainable, so is the production, without harmful vapours or solvents. The top layer is biodegradable.