Gawon Lee and Mina Kim
This Christmas tree from Vilnius, Lithuania has gained international attention although it seems no different from any other Christmas tree. What makes this particular tree so special? This innovative tree is illuminated with power generated by over 15 tons of spent coffee grounds (SCGs) | ("Lithuanian Christmas"). The city's noteworthy steps towards green energy have garnered praise for utilizing something as ordinary as coffee grounds as a sustainable resource. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bio-based sustainable development using organic waste such as SCGs.
Christmas tree in Vilnius, Lithuania with SCG generated electricity lights
The coffee industry has become ubiquitous in our global economy and culture, yet it carries a significant environmental burden. Only 0.2% of a single coffee bean is used when producing coffee and since 15g of coffee beans are required for a single cup, 14.97g of coffee residue is discarded as waste (An et al.). With a staggering 400 billion cups consumed each day, the total amount of waste is a calamity in itself ("Economics of Coffee"). Typically designated as general waste, coffee grounds are sent to landfills, generating 2.3 billion cubic meters of methane-equivalent to France's annual carbon dioxide output (May and Folkerts). Furthermore, mass coffee production also exacerbates ecological problems such as deforestation, water pollution, and soil erosion.
Consequently, there have been global efforts to address these issues and promote a sustainable future for the coffee industry like Lithuania. Such efforts are possible thanks to the multitude of possible applications that SCGs entail across various sectors. Recently, SCGs have gained spotlight as a source of bioenergy with the primary features that distinguish them from other biomasses. Given their widespread consumption, they are available all year round and are easily accessible. Biofuels made from biomasses that are not typically used as food are considered"second generation," which makes SCGs a promising resource that can replace corn and sugarcane during times of food scarcity (Rajabi Hamedani et al.).
Bio Bean Coffe Logs
Bio-bean, a UK-based company, is a well-known pioneer in creating a
circular economy for coffee. The company collects coffee grounds from London and utilizes the highly calorific leftover oil and combustible material that burns hotter and longer than wood. 50,000 tonnes of SCGs are collected and processed into carbon neutral biofuel pellets and logs, known as "Bio-bean Coffee Logs", which amounts to 25% of London's total coffee waste (Kim and Park), Furthermore, the company's biofuel is recognized as a renewable energy source, so its production cost is subsidized by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) of the UK government (Kim and Park). As a testament to the versatility of organic waste, Bio-bean manages to ensure its profitability and has inspired similar initiatives around the world.
Nestlé is another well-known leader in biofuel pellet manufacturing. They are striving to create a 'net-zero factory' by upeycling coffee waste into biofuel pellets used as heat sources for their production boilers. Notably, the Swiss government plays a central role in collecting SCs, utilizing both their centralized post offices and over 2,600 other bases (Kim and Park).
Lithuania, UK, and Switzerland demonstrate how SCGs have the potential to lead second-generation biofuel. They are not alone in this journey. South Korea is following the trend by converting coffee residue into biofuel with the innovative technology of Foyen, a social venture specializing in SCG recycling. Since November 2021, Foyen has been supplying fuel for the oil refineries and chemical plant facilities operating under Hyundai Oilbank (Yoon).
Nonetheless, the applications of SCGs are not limited to bioenergy, as exemplified by the district of Seongdong-gu in Seoul, South Korea. On a local scale, they are increasing the residual value of SCGs by extracting and processing resources from what was originally considered as "waste'. They launched the "Seongdong-gu Coffee Residual Recycling Projeet" in 2020, which involves collecting SCGs from district cafes, a 'waste recovery' mechanism that is one of the first of its kind in Seoul. As of November 2022, more than a third of Seongdong-gu cafes were participating (Kim). The project is easily accessible as it only requires a simple application process via Google Form or email for an employee from the recycling facility to visit on the designated day and collect the coffee waste placed aside.
Seongdong-gu has also taken the initiative by signing business agreements with social ventures such as Foyen and Impact Square (Yoon). With their cutting-edge foil recycling technology, SCGs are transformed into numerous applications including synthetic wood for tables, chairs, and other interiors. These collaborations have secured the economic viability of the coffee residue recycling project, making it an innovative and sustainable model that demonstrates SCG could be upcycled as consumer goods.
Fumiture located in Seongdong-gu Office made from SCG based synthetic wood
Following Seongdong-gu's success, the Ministry of Environment has reclassified coffee grounds from domestic waste to "recyclable resources,"preventing them from being automatically sent to landfill or incinerated (Ministry of Environment). Instead, SCGs are now officially recognized as a potential biofuel. This regulatory innovation leaves the floor open for the private sector to freely recycle and reuse SCGs unlike previously when only licensed companies could do so.
There is still room for improvement. It is crucial to first expand the upcycling of SCGs from a local to a nationwide scale. The collection rate is still relatively low, so more can be done to encourage cafes, restaurants, and even households to recycle their SCGs. Furthermore, the government should continue to develop markets for SCGs through R&D support and the training of aspiring entrepreneurs to develop new technologies and applications. Notably, a recent Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology study explored the potential of SCGs as methane carriers. By activating coffee grounds with potassium hydroxide, a new material is created with a high surface area and the ability to store substantial amounts of methane at room temperature (Pike). The potential for SCGs to store greenhouse gases emphasizes their capacity as a sustainable resource that deserves worldwide attention.
Carbon emissions exist even in the minutiae of our daily lives. Likewise, upcycling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are also possible in unexpected areas as demonstrated by the innovation surrounding SCGs. This is a fact that we must remain mindful of in this era of climate change.
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