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C Story / Bianka Cramblit

Pepping up Old

Coffee

NEW WAYS TO R EINV EN T COFFEE G RO UND S

W e’ve seen the images of landfills with moun- While they slowly decompose in a traditional landfill, they
create large amounts of methane. This is a potent green-
tains of plastic bottles, flat tires, and old
furniture, but is it time to think about the
dioxide. Your welcome morning pick-me-up is starting to
impact of our essential morning cup of cof- house gas that has 34 times the heating effect of carbon
fee as well? It’s a familiar sight worldwide – from chain look a lot more harmful than originally thought. Don’t
coffee shops, office lunchrooms, and our own kitchens, worry, it’s not all bad news; spent coffee grounds are an
spent coffee grounds are tossed in the trash without a sec- underused and even valuable resource. With consumers
ond thought. This adds up to an astonishing 2.25 billion and governments turning the heat up on industries that
cups (and 6 tons of waste) every day. However, since contribute to climate change and demanding alternatives
grounds are a natural organic byproduct, most coffee-drink- to our wasteful ways, companies are waking up. Established
ers assume its disposal doesn’t have a negative impact. industries and start-ups alike are brainstorming new ways
Unfortunately, those soggy coffee leftovers are full of to reinvent coffee waste. From sustainable clothing to a
acidic oil, which can harm the soil around disposal sites. biofuel source, they may have already found the solution.

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