Resumo:
Since 2021, the dairy industry has faced significant shifts, with an increase in milk production coupled with a growing number of producers abandoning the activity due to sector professionalization and modernization. A critical factor in the value chain is the improper disposal of whey, a byproduct of cheese manufacturing, which, despite its nutritional value, becomes harmful to the environment when improperly discarded. In this context, the Circular Economy (CE) emerges as an essential approach where waste is viewed as raw material, adding value, creating subsidiary markets, and generating income. Unlike the linear logic of "take, make, consume, and dispose," CE principles converge on an integrated and balanced systemic view of economic, environmental, and social systems, consequently reducing environmental pollution and resource waste, as well as creating jobs. This research is interdisciplinary in nature, incorporating elements from Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, and Applied Social Sciences, with the objective of proposing the implementation of circular practices for whey reuse and assessing their implications for the sustainable rural development of small enterprises in the Itajubá micro-region. The methodology employed begins with a literature review using the bibliometric technique, followed by a case study. It was identified that a key difficulty reported by the interviewees for implementing CE for whey reuse was the investment required for purchasing machinery, as existing reuse and recycling technologies for whey are often not adapted for small-scale producers and low-income consumers. Thus, through the analysis of existing circular practices in the literature, the one that best adapts to the economic capacity of small producers is butter manufacturing, as it utilizes simple machinery commonly found in dairy facilities, generates extra income and employment, in addition to preventing environmental pollution. Despite its regional scope, this dissertation contributes to identifying the best circular practices for whey reuse in small enterprises, incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
