There are many uses for dairy products and the latest is turning a cheese byproduct into a biodegradable, compostable and versatile bioplastic. With more and more plastic bottles being produced every day, finding a biodegradable alternative became a priority for some researchers at UC Davis.
Ruihong Zhang, a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis, is focusing his recent research on using microorganisms to produce PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) at a low cost from dairy byproducts. As PHAs are biologically made, they are non-toxic and can biodegrade in land and ocean environments, which in turn could reduce the amount of new plastic pollution in the environment.
PHA has a wide range of applications, such as films, rigid packaging and single-use items like straws, utensils, and compostable bags, cosmetics, and biomedicine. "These biodegradable plastics are already being used for a variety of applications," Zhang said, "but the quantity is still small as they are expensive, and that's where my research comes in so we can produce PHAs at a competitive cost through a new process and technology."
And that’s where cheese comes in - a byproduct of making cheese called whey permeate — a liquid waste usually discarded or used as animal feed — can be used in making PHAs.
For more: Renowned professor develops novel method to turn cheese into plastic: 'We see all kinds of applications' (thecooldown.com)