UK-based startup transforms used coffee grounds into biofuel

As coffee chains create a lot of waste, a UK startup, Bio-Bean, has found a way to turn that waste into a valuable resource. According to a study conducted back in 2011, people around the globe drink nearly two billion cups of coffee a day which produces approximately six million tons of used grounds every year. The used coffee grounds are then dumped into landfills which release toxic greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. 

In a bid to transform the coffee grounds into value, Bio-Bean is turning around 7,000 tons of those grounds a year into biofuels. The UK-based startup company sustainably innovates through coffee waste. According to an international media outlet, back in 2017, the company developed coffee-based biofuel which was to be used in London’s diesel buses, however, as it wasn’t viable and the firm then shifted its focus to solid fuels for households and industrial use. 

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According to the official website of Bio-Bean, the company estimated that the recycling process of the coffee grounds reduces emissions by 80 per cent compared with sending the grounds to landfill. The company also reportedly raised more than $7 million in funding since it was founded in 2013. It recycles coffee grounds collected from companies including Costa Coffee, London Stansted Airport and the UK railway operator Network Rail. 

As per the official site the company “work with the biggest companies in the UK to transform these spent coffee grounds into value at an industrial scale, giving new life to a material previously considered waste”. 

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20,000 tons already recycled 

While speaking to an international media outlet, the director and Chief Commercial Officer of Bio-Bean, Geroge May said that the company really managed to succeed with the innovation as they managed to get a big scale. May added that the company has already recycled over 20,000 tons ever since it started. 

According to reports, at the company’s plant in Cambridgeshire, the used coffee grounds are decontaminated to remove paper cups or plastic bags. It then is passed through a dryer and a further screening process. The used coffee grounds are then finally processed into products such as biomass pellets and home fire logs. The pellets can be used to power industrial boilers, heat commercial greenhouses or even to dry cereal crops. Furthermore, the company also produces a natural flavour extract from coffee grounds through a separate process. 

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