Could Cheese Waste Be The Solution To The Plastic Packaging Crisis?

Ourobio’s co-founder Alec Brewer

Ourobio

A New Chapter For Plastic Alternatives

When Alec Brewer entered a student competition in 2019, he didn’t expect it to define his career. His team at the University of Virginia joined iGEM, a global synthetic biology research challenge, with an ambitious idea: turn recycled polystyrene into PHAs, a biodegradable alternative to plastic.

Six months later, fate intervened. An accidental lab discovery revealed a microbial strain capable of producing not only PHAs, but also pigments in the same fermentation tank. “Our bioprocess is highly engineered and uniquely capable of co-producing two complementary biomaterials; PHAs & pigments. This lowers the cost & footprint of creating colored biodegradable products & packaging,” explains Brewer.

By 2020, the project had pivoted and rebranded as Ourobio. The company now aims to manufacture naturally colored, compostable plastics from waste streams, starting with a by-product of cheese production – dairy whey. Globally, more than 180 million tons of whey are produced each year, much of which is discarded or landfilled. Cheese whey “becomes a major environmental problem of dairy industry, and can be 100 times more polluting than domestic sewage,” according to ScienceDirect. “In order to comply with environmental legislation, regarding the incorrect disposal of cheese whey, the industries have been looking for alternatives for its reuse.”

“Using underutilized waste as a feedstock is a win-win,” Brewer explains. “It reduces costs and waste for dairies while producing materials that are safer for people and the planet.”

Surpassing Technical and Market Barriers

PHAs, or polyhydroxyalkanoates, have long been heralded as one of the most promising families of bioplastics. They are biodegradable in multiple environments, including soil, marine ecosystems, and compost, without leaving behind persistent microplastics. But despite decades of research, PHAs have struggled to scale commercially.

Geoff Nobes, Director of Business Development at RWDC Industries, has seen the field evolve for over three decades. “Earlier attempts at commercializing PHA were based on polymers with a limited set of properties,” he explains. “They simply couldn’t meet the performance requirements of mainstream plastics, especially for single-use packaging.”

Unfortunately, this prohibited the successful introduction of PHA biopolymers into the market. “In the past decade, significant innovative advancements have occurred allowing for a more successful scaling of PHA,” Nobes explains. “The combination of blending different types of PHA polymers, along with cost-effective improvements in production has allowed manufacturers to more effectively address the needs of the market to replace conventional plastics, particularly for single use items.”

However, the biggest barrier wasn’t just technical, he notes, but market acceptance. “An American Chemical Society survey years ago showed that the number one reason new chemical products failed wasn’t lack of technical readiness, it was lack of market. That was certainly the case with earlier PHA attempts.”

What’s different now? “Consumer demand, brand-owner commitments, and regulatory pressure have changed the landscape,” says Nobes.

“There’s a recognition that cheap plastics come with enormous hidden costs—health risks, microplastics, climate impacts. Today, the market value proposition for PHA is much stronger than it’s ever been.”

The Scale Of The Plastic Problem

The world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic every year, according to the UN Environment Programme. Nearly half is used for single-use items. Only about 9% is recycled, while over 11 million metric tons leak into oceans annually, where they fragment into microplastics that infiltrate food chains, drinking water, and even human bloodstreams.

Recent studies estimate people ingest tens of thousands of microplastic particles each year, with potential health impacts ranging from hormone disruption to organ damage. “What is the cost of health issues being caused today in children by the constant, life-long exposure to microplastics?” asks Nobes. “The history of the chemical industry is filled with examples, like asbestos and lead, where the cheapest solution came at the highest long-term price. PHA is a modern material designed to avoid repeating those mistakes.”

Ourobio’s Unique Approach

Ourobio’s innovation lies in its co-production process. By engineering microbes to simultaneously generate PHAs and natural pigments, the startup addresses two problems at once: the toxicity and supply chain complexity of synthetic dyes, and the environmental persistence of petrochemical plastics.

“Plastics and pigments each carry their own toxic burdens,” Brewer says. “By collapsing their production into a single fermentation, we cut transport, energy use, and chemical waste.”

This approach also creates an economic moat. “Competitors can’t just replicate one element, they’d need to match both the biology and the process optimization,” he adds. The result is a drop-in replacement for conventional plastics, but one that comes pre-colored, compostable, and with a smaller carbon footprint.

The Cost And Scale Question

Skeptics often point to the higher cost of PHAs compared to plastic. Nobes acknowledges the concern but pushes back on the framing. “Yes, PHA is more expensive on a per-ton basis today. But petrochemical plastics have had 70 years of industrial scale and subsidies. The real comparison should be total system cost, including health and environmental damages.”

Scaling is also accelerating. RWDC, Nobes’ company, is building one of the largest PHA production plants in the US and has announced plans for facilities in Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America. “No single producer can meet global demand,” he says. “But our modular manufacturing model, combined with innovators like Ourobio, will ensure supply is localized and accessible worldwide.”

According to a market analysis by IDTechEx, “the bioplastics market will expand production capacity by 12.4% CAGR to 11.6 megatonnes in 2035.” Brewer believes Ourobio’s waste-to-value model can capture part of that surge by proving new feedstock economics.

Policy Winds At Their Back

Policy is shifting rapidly, with many countries implementing restrictions on single-use plastic. Meanwhile, governments are introducing clearer standards for compostability and biodegradability.

Brewer argues that regulation is critical. “One market flaw we’d fix is clear, enforceable definitions for bio-based and compostable. Without it, greenwashing confuses customers and slows adoption. Tax policy that favors biomaterials could be a huge accelerator.”

Nobes echoes this view. The controversial but promising Green Claims Directive in Europe could give corporate buyers the clarity they need. The Science Based Targets initiative is also working on guidance for carbon removals and materials, which could drive demand.

From Lab To Market

Ourobio is now moving from proof-of-concept to early production. Wisconsin’s state-backed CDR pilot fermentation facility will host its first production runs, producing kilograms per batch of its dual products. Early markets include petcare, outdoor gear, 3D printing, and fashion, sectors where margins allow for premium sustainable materials.

Foodservice is another target. “Lightbulb moments happen when collaborators see how our process consolidates and circularizes supply chains,” Brewer says. Pet owners have already shown enthusiasm through brands like Phaws.co, which integrates Ourobio’s bioplastics.