Formation and disposal of wastes and determination of wastefulness indicators in sugar industry

The studies covered sugar industry. The analyses of wastes and wastefulness indicators in the sugar industry were performed in the paper. The results showed that processing of sugar beet generates the formation of huge quantities of side products and wastes. The values of indicators obtained in individual factories were very similar. Processing of farm and food raw materials is linked with the formation of several kinds of wastes. The raw and other materials are not fully (in 100%) utilized, re- sulting in the formation of remains in the form of raw and other material remnants. The production process is there- fore accompanied by the formation of a whole series of side products, technological wastes as well as operational wastes, resulting from the functioning of factories. The major types of food processing industries associated with environmental objectives may be regarded as: the agricul- tural industry, the meat and fish industry, fruit and vegeta- ble industry ,the dairy and the packing industries. Each step in food industry system is characterized by the by- products , waste and air emissions with a possible impact on the environment 1 . Formation of certain wastes, and especially their large quantity, is not always unavoidable and justified. The practice so far and the operations already applied in many factories aimed at limiting the formation of wastes, have shown that in this scope there are large possibilities of achieving positive effects. Legal regulations in the field of wastes, both of the European Union and also of Poland, impose on all plants performing operations causing formation of wastes, the obligation of preventing such formation and minimiza- tion of their quantity. In accordance with the Polish act on wastes 2 , "anyone who undertakes activity causing or liable to cause the formation of wastes should plan, design