Coffee waste transformed

One hundred recycling bins made from espresso coffee residues, each with a capacity of 70 liters and designated for different uses (glass, aluminum, paper, plastic), are expected to be placed soon in dining establishments and shopping centers in Athens and Patra, in western Greece. This initiative aims to reuse some of the 40,000 tons of coffee that Greeks consume annually. “Fifteen percent of the plastic is made from recycled coffee. And there’s no doubt about it because if you get close, you can indeed smell it,” says Alexis Pantziaros, a chemical engineer and co-founder of the Greek startup Coffeeco, which develops new products from about 5 tons of espresso coffee residues, ranging from cosmetics to packaging.

The coffee recycling bins are sold to food service and hotel (HoReCa) businesses, with Pantziaros explaining that “we are seeking collaborations where coffee is present. That is, where it is sold, consumed, and so on.” How are these products created? In collaboration with Crete Plastics, the company has developed a new plastic raw material consisting of polypropylene and coffee residue. This mixture consists of 15% coffee grounds, reducing the use of petrochemicals.

The key to achieving this is the process of extraction and coffee processing to replace part of the plastic. “We process the coffee waste, perform the extraction, take its active substance with antioxidant properties, and incorporate it into cosmetic formulas, such as soaps and scrubs. In collaboration with Crete Plastics, we process what remains from the above and create the raw material from coffee, replacing part of the plastic. Then we sell it to plastic manufacturers Viomes for the production of the bin, which is the final product,” Pantziaros explains. The company’s goal is to increase the percentage of bio-based material, derived from the processing of coffee waste, from 15% to 40%.

The company’s goal is to increase the percentage of bio-based material, derived from the processing of coffee waste, from 15% to 40%

“It’s a matter of time. We need more research on some aspects of the coffee-polymer combination while making the raw material for bioplastic production,” he explains to Kathimerini, adding that there is an EU directive regarding all materials that use plastic. “In a few years from now, at least 30% of the raw material must be from recycled material, whether it is recycled plastic or recycled coffee, and so on.” “We are in discussions with many HoReCa businesses that buy wholesale soaps or bins. We want to offer them a package of services. Along with the collection of coffee grounds, we can create final products from this residue,” says Marios Vlachogiannis, a chemical engineer and Coffeeco co-founder. According to the company, the demand for “green” plastics is rapidly increasing as millions of tons of plastic waste end up in landfills and oceans annually. As a result, companies are turning to more sustainable solutions, with the green plastics market expected to reach $369 billion by 2025.

Major industral companies have also turned their attention to Coffeeco’s innovation, including Papoutsanis, which recently launched a new line of premium hotel amenities made from espresso coffee residues. Coffeeco processed the raw material of espresso coffee to develop two new raw materials. One is used as an ingredient for producing shampoo/bodywash, conditioner, scrubs, soap, and lip balm, while the other is used for making packaging containers from coffee. “The active raw material contained in the company’s cosmetics has antioxidant properties and enhances the skin’s microbiome,” says Pantziaros.

The company has another source of revenue through its own product line, Auraskin. “We have developed eight products, including lip balm, facial sunscreen creams, scrubs, hand moisturizers etc, where 3% of the formula is an active ingredient derived from coffee residues. This percentage is higher compared to other active ingredients used by other companies in their products,” explains Vlachogiannis. Currently, the company sells 60 such products per week and aims, with a new round of funding, to allocate more capital to marketing its products.

Seeking funding

“We are in the process of seeking funding. So far, we have been approached by investors from abroad, unlike Greek funds, which usually focus on technology solutions,” the founders say, noting that they raised €400,000 from Coffee Island, funds that allowed them to acquire their own industrial unit in the Patra Industrial Area. There, the team utilizes the 5 tons of coffee collected from cafes to produce raw materials. “We are active in the cosmetics, skincare, and plastics sectors. We want to find some final applications – such as the recycling bin – that can absorb large quantities of bio-based plastic and are widely available in the market,” says Pantziaros.

He points out the following: “When plastic biodegrades, many microplastics do not completely decompose, resulting in them ending up either in the food chain or in animals, which will also end up in us. We provide the ability for a bin to biodegrade more efficiently. That is why we believe the solution is to replace a large part of the plastic with bioplastic, whether it comes from biopolymers or innovations like ours, to reduce the problem until consumers learn to recycle.”