Whether for health reasons or in an effort to improve athletic performance, many people turn to protein powder as a quick and easy way to boost their protein intake. With there being so many different types of protein powder, which is the most sustainable protein powder option?
Whey protein is made from waste products
Whey is a waste product, it is what's left over after curdling milk and separating out the ‘curds’ (milk solids that can be turned into cheese), leaving the liquid (whey) behind. Filtering, concentrating and drying leftover whey produces new products, such as whey protein powder.
Now, dumping of whey is banned, but previously, the dumping of whey was 175-times more damaging to the environment than dumping human sewage (1). So, a way of using once a waste product was devised and when you separate whey from industries like cheesemaking, very little of the massive carbon footprint (2, 3) associated with producing milk can be attributed to it (4). However, it cannot be denied that without industries like cheesemaking, there would be no whey.
Whey protein is not future-proof
Whey protein will not be a sustainable protein source in the future. The process of refining and drying whey is energy-intensive. Also, huge quantities of whey, and therefore dairy milk, are needed to produce whey protein on an industrial scale. The demand for whey protein could become a driver for increased milk production, meaning the environmental costs of raising cattle and producing milk would have to be allocated to whey protein products, making it an unsustainable source of protein compared with plant-based alternatives.
A brighter future for plant-based alternatives
Currently, when comparing plant-based protein to whey protein (and not the associated dairy industry), they have similar environmental footprints. However, whey cannot be produced without needing cows’ milk, which means plant-based protein will prove to be more sustainable in the long run (2). In fact, pea protein is already estimated to be between 4x and 7x less greenhouse gas-emitting than milk protein (2). Animal protein products produce more greenhouse gas emissions than plant-based protein products (5).
Where does that leave us?
Although whey protein is made from waste products, it isn't future-proof with the supply and demand hanging in the balance and it is association with the dairy industry and its massive carbon footprint. Whereas, there is a brighter future for the sustainability of plant-based protein.
