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Coffee-based Bioplastics on Horizon?

Spent coffee grounds could potentially provide a bioplastic alternative to plastic packaging.

Could coffee produce the next bioplastic?
Could coffee produce the next bioplastic?

Coffee, the world's second most traded commodity after oil, generates over 2 billion cups daily, resulting in over 8 million tons of spent coffee grounds annually, mostly ending up in landfills. However, a recent study on Psy.org reveals a potential packaging solution for spent grounds. Srinivas Janaswamy, an associate professor at South Dakota State University, demonstrates how these grounds could be transformed into biodegradable films that might one day replace plastics.

Janaswamy's research focuses on creating biodegradable alternatives to plastics using agricultural byproducts. Previous projects involved materials like avocado peels and corn stover. In this study, spent coffee grounds were chosen for several reasons.

First, they are widely available, with millions of tons produced annually, but most end up in landfills or are used inefficiently. Second, the rise of chain coffee shops in emerging economies will increase the volume of spent coffee grounds. Finally, these grounds contain lignocellulosic fibers, essential for making biodegradable films.

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