Tessa Silva-Dawson

The project explores methods of processing the protein extracted from cow’s milk as a completely natural alternative to oil-based polymers, utilising waste from the dairy industry to produce objects for functional use and of historical relevance to milk. Milk has been a fundamental part of cultures and civilisations throughout the ages; it was of such high value that the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph for the word milk resembles the verb ”to make”. This sentiment has been encapsulated in this project by re-envisioning milk as a resourceful and valuable raw material for production. By creating value streams from waste, the project also demonstrates the application of circular economy principles, whereby a product that began its life in nature also has the capacity to end its life by entering back into nature’s cycle.