**4. Conclusions**

The recovery of lactose from cheese whey allows not only the valorization of this co-product in the cheese industry, but also to mitigate the environmental damage caused by it. This work is focused on the use of membrane processes for lactose recovery. The selection of the most suitable process depends on several factors such as composition of the initial cheese whey (quite varied, especially in the case of those resulting from artisanal cheese production), volume produced, and final intended application for lactose. Progress in these processes will lead to an overall improvement in the process of recovering lactose from cheese whey. In the case of membrane separation, its implementation at the industrial level is increasing. Hitherto, its use in small and medium scales is conditioned by the initial economic investment, depending rather on the synergy of the various producers, which in turn should be driven by their associations.
