In Poland, designer Sofia Jaśkiewicz has created a line of tableware and packaging made from sugar beet waste.
The items are made by adding other natural materials to sugar beet pulp and leaves, accompanied with binding and pressing steps to form papers, chipboards and composites.
“I’m interested in the exploration of new uses for unusual materials and the whole experimental process leading to the consideration of the good of the environment,” the Poznań School of Form graduate tells The First News.
Sugar beet is one of the largest contributors to Poland’s agricultural waste and accounts for 20 million tons annually from the European Union. It was once used to feed cattle, but decreasing herds in the region have reduced offtake.
“This project aims to highlight the fact that there are many everyday disposable items which are made from durable and imported materials, but they could (and should) be produced from local, non-toxic and biodegradable materials,” Jaśkiewicz adds. “It is also an attempt to demonstrate the potential of organic waste material which is currently useless.”