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Coffee Grounds for a Sustainable Future

A Literature and Prior Art Review

Lauren Nuessner

Graphic Design, 1st year

NewSchool of Architecture and Design

Intro to Research, Trevor Stine

23 October 2019

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ABSTRACT

Coffee Grounds for a Sustainable Future by

Lauren Nuessner The NewSchool of Architecture and Design, 2019

The environmental factors that are damaging and their relationship to a common thrown out item, spent coffee grounds, is the subject of this thesis. This is a literature and prior art review presenting the data gathered from reliable scientists who have studied these potential advantages in using these coffee grounds. The analysis addresses three questions:

1. What are the environmental benefits of reusing coffee grounds?

2. Is it reasonable for households and restaurants to prevent disposal?

3. How is traditional coffee ground waste inefficient in terms of sustainability?

Three hypotheses are tested:

The use of a bin to collect coffee grounds in both residential and commercial environments will enforce:

• The benefits of reuse greatly override the cons.

• With something simple to use, this product will be very usable for all domains.

• Bioproducts will be able to replace those of which are non-sustainable.

Keywords: coffee grounds, sustainability, fertilizer, bioproducts, recycling, compost, environmental factors, coffee shops, soil, plastic contamination, alternative

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................. 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS..........................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................3

LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................................3

Inefficiency of Current Systems Employed Regarding Environmental Factors...........3

Fertilizer and Soil..............................................................................................4

Plastic Contamination........................................................................................4

Bioproducts........................................................................................................5

Normality of Coffee Ground Waste...............................................................................6

Coffee Shops......................................................................................................6

Vending Machines.............................................................................................7

PRIOR ART REVIEW..............................................................................................................7

Vortex De-aerator and Strainer..........................................................................8

Clasping Lid.......................................................................................................8

Bioplastic............................................................................................................8

Attachment Hook................................................................................................9

Basic Trashcan Elements....................................................................................9

CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................9

REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................11

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INTRODUCTION

For the reader to understand the significance of being concerned with the collection of

used, or spent, coffee grounds, this component provides an overview of the subject through

historical information gathered. After being employed in a coffee shop for years, it became

apparent that coffee grounds are thrown out in mass amounts at the end of every shift. These

grounds must be of some magnitude to others, whether that be for anything from fertilizer to

biofuel. A solution to the wasteful manner of coffee grounds is the spent coffee grounds bin. It

collects the grounds in an enclosed bin to easily be stored and begin dehydration until picked up

and shipped to facilities for use. Presented below is a literature and prior art review for the

necessity and key features of the invention.

LITERATURE REVIEW

This literature review consists of two sections. The first examines the sources reviewing

how coffee grounds can be efficiently used in the environment, and discusses the current

methods used that are hazardous to both humans and the planet. The second part of the literature

review addresses the necessity of the collection of coffee grounds, and the immense change that

could be if utilized.

INEFFICIENCY OF CURRENT SYSTEMS EMPLOYED

REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Coffee grounds are not traditionally saved at the household or corporate level. The issues

that are explained below could be mediated with the recycling of spent coffee grounds people

normally waste.

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Fertilizer and Soil

Fertilizer and soil are intended to be used as a safe material to encourage plant growth.

Although there are some that follow this ideal, there are also fertilized soils containing hazardous

materials and chemicals, especially those located near hazardous facilities. Of these, in

Oklahoma there is a radioactive plant that has been actively incorporating their hazardous

wastewater into a fertilizer sprayed into the soil. Although the facility has been observed and

passed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, there

are still cases of people being born blind, animals being mutated, and leukemia levels being

reported higher than national average. Runoff caused by rain causes these potentially harmful

chemicals to reach larger bodies of water and grasslands consumed by humans and animals. The

capability for the chemicals to be so widespread limits our knowledge on how proliferate the

chemicals can reach (Lemonick, 1987). Fertilizer and soil should not be a material of fear, rather

a catalyst to growth. Coffee grounds are a natural resource that can easily transition into

fertilizer. The fine texture and ability to store water make for a sustainable, proliferate, and

primary form of both fertilizer and soil.

Plastic Contamination

In addition to the soils containing harmful chemicals, there is also more fragments of

plastic in the soil now than there has ever been. Polyethylene is the specific type of plastic that

has been tested in a study conducted by scientists at Washington State University and the

University of Tennessee. The plastic is used to suppress the growth of weeds and maintain water.

The goal of the research is to explore various biodegradable plastic mulches and determine

which is the most successful alternative to polyethylene infusion. It has been concluded that

biodegradable plastic mulches are favorably compared to polyethylene. Of these biodegradable

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mulches, coffee grounds are a top contestant. The grounds are from the earth and are recycled in

the natural form, without added substance or chemicals. The alternatives tested are not as reliable

yet because the organic matter yields inconsistent results across all the studies, but overall the

progress made supporting biodegradable material as an alternative remains a prime goal in the

progress of sustainability (Sintim, 2019). With a collection bin for coffee grounds, also made

from sustainable sources and not a true plastic, the possibility of a complete transition to

biodegradable mulch without plastic contamination would be much more attainable.

Bioproducts

Soil and mulch are not the only issues spent coffee grounds could be an efficient

possibility for. There is research on many other benefits of these grounds, such as their ability to

be compressed into an oil and used for biofuel with a high heating value and nitrogen content

(Caetano, 2014). Currently, the fuel that is being used is non-renewable, and once the earth either

exhausts the fossil fuels in the projected centuries or succumbs to the dangerous greenhouse

gases and overheating of the ozone, there will be need for a renewable source (Windsor, 2019).

Fossil fuels are not at an immediately hazardous level, but the rate at consumption is highly

underestimated and leads scientists to inquire a more suitable long- term alternative (Rogner,

1997). In addition to the grounds being reduced to an oil, construction technology is constantly

seeking out bioproducts to enhance effective materials. In a series of compression analyses,

coffee grounds in combination with other reusable materials are found to be a viable source of

material for a road subgrade material. A road subgrade material consists of layering material and

packing it together underneath the road in order to support the weight above. The goal of this

experiment is to prevent coffee grounds from entering, and eventually becoming a cog, in

landfills (Horpibulsuk, 2017). In total, the strive to produce efficient material is a worldwide

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issue in need of a remedy. There are coffee grounds being disposed of in vast quantities rather

than being used to benefit society. If storage and transport were made a simple task like

recycling bottles and other plastic are today, then the concern could be depleted. A reliable,

renewable source would be allowed natural capabilities.

NORMALITY OF COFFEE GROUND WASTE

The issues faced with traditional inefficient use of spent coffee grounds are unnecessarily

substantial. In addition to the lack of spent coffee grounds in environmental use, it is important to

analyze the considerable amount of these wasted grounds.

Coffee Shops

In researching the efficiency of coffee grounds for biofuel production, scientists

published by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry produced a figure displaying the

incredible amount of coffee wasted from StarbucksÒ alone. Their research used data from 2008,

but since then the numbers have only increased. In the United States alone, StarbucksÒ wastes

$8,020,000 worth of coffee grounds each year. In pounds per year in the United States,

210,000,000 pounds of coffee grounds could have gone towards feedstock or biodiesel

production (Narasimharao, 2008). This is only analyzing the market of StarbucksÒ coffee, not to

mention the numerous other chain coffee shops and restaurants. It is extremely wasteful for their

potential use. With a simple bin to collect, store, and eventually be transferred to facilities, the

amount of waste reduces greatly, and the environment will have more biofriendly production.

Restaurants, as well as other commercial buildings, are encouraged to meet environmental

certification factors brought forth by the US Green Building Council through the Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design program. This group has developed a point system for

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commercial spaces, ranking and awarding those that comply with environmental practices. There

are also incentives for these spaces to become practice sustainability such as cash or tax breaks

provided by utility companies. With ample amount of motivation to go green, businesses such as

StarbucksÒ would prosper even more (Reby, 2009).

Vending Machines

Not only are coffee chains and restaurants receiving mass amounts of coffee sales, but

there is such an emergence of coffee popularity that vending machines are now a notable

proportion of the market. There are machines located in airports, shopping malls, hotels, and

many other locations where customers select their beverage to be mechanically made on site.

There are waste bins inside that collect the spent coffee grounds. Filled bins are eventually

emptied and wasted, but scientist collected these bins in order to use the grounds for bioresearch

and production of a sustainable biofuel (Vasmara, 2018). With the United States average being

over nine pounds of coffee consumed a year, the benefits of coffee collection override the cons

in nearly all scenarios (ChartsBin Statistics Collector Team, 2011). An efficient containment bin

incorporated to residential and commercial spaces is the solution to making progress towards a

sustainable planet.

PRIOR ART REVIEW

The proposed invention is a bin with a mesh interior to hold specifically coffee grounds.

A generic bin would only compact the soggy grounds and would likely produce a foul odor,

mold, mildew, or related disturbances if not delivered in a reasonable amount of time. To avoid

these concerns, the following inventions contain qualities beneficial to the specific spent coffee

ground bin itself.

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Vortex De-aerator and Strainer

The initial patent addresses the compaction. There would be mesh interior lining that

would spin to produce a centripetal force driving out liquid from the grounds. The patent is

classified as a vortex type de-aerator. The characteristics of the patent are the inner and outer

lining, which the proposed invention would possess, with the outer lining gathering the water as

it exits the center. The invention would not require a constant human operation of spinning to

diverge humidity from the bin’s contents, but would have the same double layering as the

patented object. This is a simple way to begin de-humidifying the coffee grounds before pick-up

without any use of technology, only science (Blackmore, 1961).

Clasping Lid

A clasping lid is required for the patent to remain unbothersome towards users. This

patent is for a lid that had arranged the clasp to prevent air infestation. A lid will be used to

ensure the bin will not spill the coffee grounds or any liquid produced during transportation. The

material of this specific patent filed is plastic, which the proposed invention will not contain.

Rather than being produced from a petroleum- based plastic like the patent calls for, it will be

produced from a bioplastic (Chen, 1978).

Bioplastic

Bioplastics are extremely necessary for the bin to be efficient and not leave a footprint

like the one it is trying to prevent. Bioplastics themselves are patented materials for the generic

production. In 2012, this became an official patent stating that organic materials with a faster

decomposition than petroleum plastic classifies a bioplastic. The coffee ground collection bin

will make use of a bioplastic. The bin must be successfully waterproof, which some forms of

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bioplastic do not possess. If the bin itself cannot be sustainable, then the invention’s purpose

begins to deplete (Budina, 2012).

Attachment Hook

In order to be made useful, the collection bin must be located somewhere users naturally

expect. Since coffee grounds typically make way to the garbage bin, the proposed invention will

be attached to a trashcan using a hook. The patent explored for this hook was not to be found,

but a similar hook the bin would use is a utility hook, typically found in households to hang

various items, including bicycles. The hook to be used in the invention will be sleek and attached

to the bucket chamber, easily attachable to the trashcan. Habits will transition from disposing

spent coffee grounds to preserving them in the receptacle connected (Webb, 2003).

Basic Trashcan Elements

Finally, the basic trashcan is the motivation behind the appearance and function of the

bin. This generic model already patented has a hard outer layer and a removeable inner layer for

replacing the garbage bag. Both of these characteristics will be useful in the new invention,

although there will be no need for any replaceable, and non-environmentally friendly, bags. The

patent also makes note of the inner layer being made of a petroleum plastic. The mesh inner layer

of the proposed invention will be made of either a cloth or thin aluminum substance, preventing

use of any material that is not sustainable (Yang 2003).

CONCLUSION

Throughout research, it has become evident the importance of transitioning from an

unsustainable society to an efficient one. Spent coffee grounds are an extremely moldable

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medium for many products and alternatives. From being used for soil or compressed to become

biofuel, there are few limitations for this over- wasted bean. Analyzing the issues associated with

fertilizer and soils, plastic contamination, and the underuse of coffee grounds for bioproducts has

proven the necessity for an attainable, biodegradable substance. There is no reason for there to be

any hesitance towards any of these daily used items. As the planet continues to deplete fossil

fuels, the search for sustainability is on the rise. Through the information gathered, it is clear

how much damage has the potential to be alleviated with the incorporation of coffee grounds.

Traditional plastic and hazardous substances used today are not the answer to efficiency, but by

providing a collection to households and commercial spaces, hazard does not have to exist. By

referring to prior samples produced, the elements of a collection bin are extremely achievable.

Bioplastics are continuing to improve, and the future of the coffee grounds for sustainability is in

reach. A bin made by sustainable products for a sustainable use has the potential to collect the

future.

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REFERENCES

Blackmore, J. J., Gordon, G. P. (1961). U.S. Patent No. 3151961A. Washington, DC: U.S.

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Budina, E. (2012). U.S. Patent No. 20130186303A1. Washington, DC: U.S. Retrieved from

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Caetano, N., Silva, V., Melo, A., Martins, A., & Mata, T. (2014). Spent coffee grounds for

biodiesel production and other applications. Clean Technologies & Environmental

Policy, 16(7), 1423–1430. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-014-0773-0

ChartsBin Statistics Collector Team (2011). Current Worldwide Annual Coffee Consumption

Per Capita. ChartsBin.com. Retrieved from http://chartsbin.com/view/581

Chen, A. C. (1978). U.S. Patent No. 4215797A. Washington, DC: U.S. Retrieved from

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Horpibulsuk, S., Kua, T.-A., Arulrajah, A., Du, Y.-J., & Suksiripattanapong, C. (2017).

Engineering and environmental evaluation of spent coffee grounds stabilized with

industrial by-products as a road subgrade material. Clean Technologies & Environmental

Policy, 19(1), 63–75. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1188-x

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Lemonick, M. D., & Dolan, B. (1987). Making Fertilizer from What? A uranium processor’s

novel experiment starts a national furor. TIME Magazine, 130(22), 79. Retrieved from

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11760. Retrieved from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf802487s

Reby, J. W., Koeltzow, E. (2009) Green Requirements for Restaurants. The Practical Real Estate

Lawyer. Retrieved from https://www.lewisrice.com/content/uploads/2014/11/Reby

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Coffee Grounds for a Sustainable Future

Lauren Nuessner

A Literature and Prior Art Review