Say cheese: the whey forward in renewable plastics

Whey from cheese production and other agricultural waste can be a valuable raw material for new biodegradable plastic. A European research project is working on using these bi-products in laminated cardboard, food packaging and even bricks.

Futuris visited a plant where the research is being carried out. Maria Beatrice Coltelli, a researcher in material science at DICI-UNIPI in the University of Pisa explained her role in the process: “The granules are used to obtain a film which is inserted into a part of a multilayer material that also includes cardboard and aluminium.”

Industrial scale
The aim of the research is to develop this method on an industrial scale. A factory in Mimizan, France produces paper-based laminates combining different materials. Each layer plays its part in protecting the contents of the packaging. Plastics that offer a large range of barrier properties, such as polyethylene, were first produced over 50 years ago.

“This new material is made from waste,