Take Root Bio converts cheese production waste into bioethanol

Take Root Bio, a startup specializing in biosphere engineering, has collaborated with Heriot-Watt University and the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) to convert salty whey into bioethanol. The project, supported by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), utilizes a bio-based process to transform sugars found in whey—a common byproduct of cheese manufacturing—into fuel.

Managing whey disposal presents significant economic and environmental challenges. In the United Kingdom alone, approximately 95,000 tonnes of salty whey are produced annually during the manufacture of cheddar and similar cheeses. The high salt and milk sugar content make disposal difficult and costly for dairy producers, who can generate tens of thousands of liters per week. This new circular economy approach aims to turn this waste into a value-added resource while potentially recovering additional byproducts from the process.