A
Breathing New Life into Whey
Navn
Ziyu Lin
Uddannelsesgrad
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Design
Institut
Design og Visuel Interaktion
Program
Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship - Architecture, Design and Business
År
2025
This project offers an accessible pathway for small and medium-sized dairies in Denmark to transform whey — a high-volume byproduct into biodegradable packaging. Starting with fermentation, it combines material exploration, packaging innovation, and production strategies to develop a circular solution.
The project focus on economic and technical viability, as well as market competitiveness, enabling local producers to unlock overlooked potential into tangible value.
More than just developing new material, the project also demonstrate how resources can circulate and be transformed locally—creating value within small-scale systems and supporting Denmark’s transition toward circular packaging solutions.
Cheese and yogurt， which are essential components of the human diet, account for a significant share of global dairy consumption. However, the production process generates a significant byproduct known as whey, a liquid remaining after milk curdles.
Globally, whey production is estimated at 180–190 million tonnes annually (European Commission, n.d.). In 2016, only 40% of whey in the EU was further processed, particularly by smaller producers, who often lack the resources and infrastructure to do so. My research highlights this issue in Denmark, where small and medium-sized dairy companies struggle to find accessible solutions for efficiently repurposing whey
From Fermentation to Material Exploration
The video explains my approach to fermentation and material development.
This project develops a localized strategy for recycling and transporting resources without generating significant CO₂ emissions. The strategy focuses on the concept of fermenting whey into food packaging, uniting potential partners to form a localized production and usage network. Within this framework, dairy companies act as both material suppliers and end-users of the recycled products. This integrated approach minimizes unnecessary transportation of materials and effectively aligns market demand with the supply of newly manufactured materials.
Det Kongelige Akademi understøtter FN’s verdensmål
Siden 2017 har Det Kongelige Akademi arbejdet med FN’s verdensmål. Det afspejler sig i forskning, undervisning og afgangsprojekter. Dette projekt har forholdt sig til følgende FN-mål
