Costa partners with Bio-bean to convert 3,000 tonnes of coffee waste to biofuel

Costa will be supplying grounds from 800 different stores across the UK to Bio-bean to be turned into biofuels, biochemical and new solid fuel solution Coffee Logs. The partnership was announced today (21 December) and represents the first-time Bio-bean has collaborated with one of the nation’s largest high-street coffee chains.

Costa Coffee energy and environment manager Oliver Rosevear said: “This partnership will put thousands of tonnes of Costa coffee grounds to work, transforming them from a waste material into sustainable, clean fuels which can heat homes this winter.

“With our zero energy Eco Pod and the Grounds for Grounds project, we have worked hard to cut carbon emissions and minimise waste, but it is fantastic to move bio-bean forward on their ambition to power cities with coffee. We look forward to developing this partnership in the future.”

Coffee Collaboration

Chief executive and founder of Bio-bean Arthur Kay is also calling for cooperation with other UK businesses that produce coffee waste to embrace its circular economy solution.

“Our technology will save Costa thousands of pounds and reduce emissions – and where Costa have led we hope other companies can follow,” Kay said. “We want to work with every other UK business producing waste coffee grounds to save them money, cut carbon and prove that helping the planet doesn’t have to cost the earth.”

Last year, Bio-bean launched a capital-wide scheme that provides heating to 15,000 homes across London, using waste coffee beans collected from local baristas.

After TV chef turned green activist Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall bought the issue of coffee paper cup recycling into public consciousness, it has remained the sustainability focus point for the coffee industry.

Many of the largest coffee chains are partnering with ‘truly recyclable’ coffee cup manufactures such as Frugalpac to address the questionable recyclability of current coffee cup solutions. Starbucks, for example, has followed in the footsteps of Costa by introducing in-store recycling bins for paper cups.

Alex Baldwin