Whey to Go: From Cheese Waste to Fuel
Whey to go! Could the cheese byproduct heat our homes and fuel our cars?
- Level
- B1
- Estimated time
- 30–40 minutes
- Reading
- 1 min read
The story
Whey is the liquid that remains after you make cheese. When milk curdles, the curds form cheese and the whey stays behind. Whey is mostly water (about 75% to 93%). The rest is lactose, protein and some fat. Salty whey can contain up to 10% salt.
Britain produces 95,000 tonnes of salty whey every year. Because it is so salty, this whey is often seen as a waste product and it can be hard to manage. Disposing of it presents an environmental challenge.
Whey can still be useful. Both ricotta and brunost are made from whey. Both cheese products and protein supplements can come from whey. The protein in whey can be extracted for nutritional supplements, but salty whey is generally treated as waste. As Dr Jane White said, "still contain valuable components but can be challenging to manage".
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University, working with the company Take Root Bio, have devised a method to turn salty whey into fuel. This fuel could heat homes or power cars. High demand for whey protein has pushed up prices, which also changes how people think about whey.
Key vocabulary
- whey
- The liquid left after cheese curds are removed.
- curds
- The solid parts of milk that make cheese.
- salty
- Containing a lot of salt.
- lactose
- A sugar found in milk and whey.
- protein
- A nutrient in milk and whey used by the body.
- waste
- Something not wanted and often thrown away.
- fuel
- A material used to make heat or power.
- researchers
- People who study and try to find new solutions.
Comprehension check
Write your answer, reveal the model answer, then score yourself honestly.
1. What is whey?
2. How much salty whey does Britain produce each year?
3. Name two foods that are made from whey.
4. What did researchers at Heriot-Watt and Take Root Bio devise?
5. What did Dr Jane White say about byproducts?
Grammar focus
Both / Either / Neither
Use both/either/neither to talk about two things together. 'Both' shows two things share a quality or action; 'neither' shows not one and not the other.
- Both ricotta and brunost are made from whey.
- Both cheese products and protein supplements can come from whey.
Grammar exercise
Complete the gaps with the correct verb form. Use the verb in brackets. The signal word shows the needed form.
1. So far, both ricotta and brunost ___ (make).
2. Already, both Heriot‑Watt and Take Root Bio ___ (devise).
3. This month, neither the fuel nor homes ___ (heat).
4. Now, both protein supplements and cheese foods ___ (contain).
5. So far, neither salty whey nor milk ___ (turn).
Discussion
For reflection or speaking practice — not graded.
- Would you be surprised to use fuel made from food waste? Why?
- How could a local community benefit if whey became a common fuel?
- What problems might cheese makers face if whey becomes valuable?
- What other food byproducts could be useful as fuel or energy?