A
Breathing New Life into Whey
Name
Ziyu Lin
Education degree
Kandidat
Fagfelt
Design
Institute
Design and Visual Interaction
Program
Strategic Design and Entrepreneurship - Architecture, Design and Business
Year
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.
The Royal Danish Academy supports the Sustainable Development Goals
Since 2017 the Royal Danish Academy has worked with the Sustainable Development Goals. This is reflected in our research, our teaching and in our students’ projects. This project relates to the following UN goal(-s)
