Eden Mill partners with biotech company to repurpose distilling waste

17 October, 2024

Independent St Andrews-based distillery Eden Mill has announced a long-term partnership with Scottish biotech company, and Earthshot Prize finalist, MiAlgae to repurpose whisky effluent to grow microalgae.

MiAlgae has developed a process to grow microalgae from whisky byproducts to create a sustainable source of Omega-3s without need for potentially unsustainable overfishing.

The company claims the process is cost effective and operates at scale ensuring the program will remain affordable without compromising impact.

“By partnering with Eden Mill, we will use nutrients from their distillery by-products to grow our eco-friendly Omega-3-rich microalgae,” said Douglas Martin, founder and managing director at MiAlgae.

“We’ll also upcycle the effluent to clean water. Their shared commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission to advance biotechnology for good.”

Eden Mill has installed an effluent storage tank at its distillery which is due to re-commence distilling both gin and single malt whisky in 2025.

Commenting on the partnership, Eden Mill chief exec Rennie Donaldson said: “Sustainability is a hugely important part of our distillery plans, and for our business as a whole, so the team are excited to see a by-product given an environmentally friendly second-use.”





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