EWC Code
Wastes from sugar processing
EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC — Official Journal L 226, 06/09/2000Annual Volume
~15 Mt/year EU (beet pulp, molasses, lime carbonation sludge)
Valorisation Range
Beet pulp pellets €80–130/t (feed); molasses €180–250/t; carbonation lime €5–15/t (agriculture)
Primary Route
Animal feed (pulp) and fermentation (molasses)
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Get contacts for EWC 02 04EWC 02 04 covers residues from beet and cane sugar production: beet pulp, molasses, carbonation lime (calcium carbonate sludge from juice purification), sugar filter press cake, and evaporation condensate sludge. EU sugar production is concentrated in Germany, France, Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands, processing ~120 Mt of beet annually. All primary residues from sugar processing are non-hazardous and have well-established commercial markets.
Beet pulp — the largest stream at ~5 Mt fresh weight/year EU — is pressed, dried and pelleted for ruminant feed, or increasingly ensiled fresh on-farm. Molasses, at ~1.5 Mt/year, is diverted to yeast fermentation, ethanol production and animal feed. Carbonation lime (~3 Mt/year as wet sludge) is an agricultural liming material equivalent to agricultural lime. Only where cleaning chemicals or pest control substances contaminate process residues would a sub-stream require re-classification.
Sugar factories are integrated biorefinery exemplars: beet juice → sugar + molasses; beet pulp → feed or biogas; carbonation lime → agricultural amendment; flue gas CO₂ → greenhouse horticulture. Some factories operate combined heat and power plants fuelled by biogas from molasses and effluent treatment sludge, achieving near-zero waste status.
Typical Generators
Established valorisation pathways for EWC 02 04, ranked by economic value and market depth. Animal feed (pulp) and fermentation (molasses) is the primary route.
Pressed or dried beet pulp sold as ruminant feed. Molasses contracted to distilleries (ethanol, bioethanol), yeast manufacturers and animal feed compounders. Both streams typically by-products rather than wastes — Art. 5 Directive 2008/98/EC criteria generally met.
Carbonation lime sludge (≈40% CaCO₃) applied to arable land as pH amendment. Equivalent to crushed limestone. Requires soil analysis and application rate calculation. May qualify as End-of-Waste or by-product under national competent authority decision.
Effluent treatment sludge and residual organic fractions co-digested in factory biogas plant. Heat and electricity used on-site; digestate applied to beet contract fields. Some factories export biomethane to grid.
These are the established routes for EWC 02 04. Which one your stream qualifies for depends on its composition, volume and region.
Get the ranked options for your streamPrimary & secondary off-takers
Sugar factories as primary generators; molasses users include yeast and ethanol producers
Dairy and beef farms are primary receivers of beet pulp as feed supplement
Ethanol producers use molasses as fermentation feedstock
Arable farmers receive carbonation lime as soil conditioner
Source: NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat, 2008
Key legislative frameworks governing EWC 02 04 classification, transport, and treatment.
Beet pulp and molasses used as animal feed must meet feed hygiene requirements. Sugar factories supplying directly to farms must be registered as feed business operators.
Biogas digestate from sugar factory effluents applied to land must comply with nitrogen application limits in nitrate vulnerable zones. Nutrient content must be documented.
Beet pulp, molasses and carbonation lime supplied commercially directly from production process typically meet by-product criteria. No waste permit required where certain further use is guaranteed without further processing.
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Sectors that valorise EWC 02 04 as an input material or secondary raw material.
Waste-stream pages and resources connected to EWC 02 04 valorisation.
Explore EU waste flows — Waste Atlas
Visualise 17 years of E-PRTR industrial facility data. See how EWC 02 04 and related waste streams flow across European industries and sectors.
Source: EUR-Lex Commission Decision 2000/532/EC · NACE Rev.2 — Eurostat 2008
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