Starbucks is trialling the viability of a new low carbon natural solution for disposing of spent coffee grounds.
In partnership with resource management company Veolia and Wormganix, a producer of worm castings, the trial is using worms to recycle coffee grounds and turn them into fertiliser. The enterprise hopes to return valuable resources back to the food chain and aid in reducing reliance on artificial fertilisers that are high in chemicals.
The unique method feeds worms a mixture of paper pulp and spent coffee grounds that they digest to produce a nutrient rich fertiliser such as humus or vermicompost, that contains beneficial microbes, fungi and bacteria that improves soil health.
The UK consumes nearly 98 million cups of coffee per day, generating over 250,000 tonnes of spent coffee ground waste annually in the process. If treated properly, spent coffee grounds have the potential to improve soil health, due to being naturally rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
The trial, currently taking place with a Starbucks store in Bradford, West Yorkshire, has successfully recycled three tonnes of spent coffee grounds, which is equivalent to 420,000 single-shot coffees.
The initiative also sits alongside Starbucks' other food waste initiatives to tackle coffee ground waste. The business has already been taking advantage of the natural fertilisation properties of coffee grounds via its Grounds For Your Garden scheme, where stores across the UK donate bags of used coffee grounds to customers to use in their gardens. Starbucks also supports businesses with innovative food waste ideas via The Eat It Up Fund, a partnership between Starbucks and environmental charity, Hubbub.
Potential to kick start a new industry
Veolia has focused on the production and sale of high quality and sustainable fertiliser into the horticultural industry supporting clients with their environmental goals. With opportunities from farming earthworms on organic wastes, the results from this project have the potential to kick start a new industry that recycles nutrients back into the food chain from previous waste streams.
“We are always looking for innovative solutions to help our customers with their sustainability goals and this project utilises new methods to tackle a challenging waste stream,” said Veolia’s managing director for commercial, Adam Wylie.
“We are looking forward to seeing the results of the trial and the positive impact that it can have on the coffee industry.”
