BetaWare is a material made from sugar beet cellulose and molasses, which is vegan and compostable. Sugar beet cellulose and molasses are by-products of sugar production. By-products accumulate during production processes and are not the target of processing, but can find their own application in an intermediate use. Through an intermediate use, the material can be returned to the cycle after application. No additional cultivation areas are used for the consumption of goods, but material that already accumulates is processed into products.
For a deeper understanding of the sugar beet cycle, in addition to intensive research, the sugar beet cultivation, the processing in the sugar factory and the further use on site were considered and the actors were interviewed.
For the development of the material, many test series were carried out and a wide variety of processes were tested. As a result, the material was optimized and the properties were investigated and evaluated. This included strength tests in the university laboratory and injection molding tests at the company Arburg GmbH + Co KG. The findings were able to be incorporated into the design in many ways and put the material into a context of use.
Six products were designed, which are versatile and show the possible processing methods. In the context of resilient, honest and sustainable design, a sustainable design approach was created.
Each product was manufactured with different processes, such as milling, turning, sawing, drilling, casting, pressing and grinding, and is to be used in the sales room. Here, the intensity of use is high and the useful life is often short. After use, the products can be fully composted or fermented.
Master thesis 2020 supervised by Katrin Krupka and Sarah Böttger Bauhaus-Universität Weimar