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The broad spectrum of possibilities for spent coffee grounds valorisation

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Abstract

Coffee is the world’s second most traded commodity and the most renowned drink worldwide. The increasing production of coffee has been accompanied by a rise in consumption, and consequent increment in the amount of spent coffee grounds (SCGs) remaining as a solid residue from coffee brewing. In view of the high content of biodegradable compounds, if disposed, SCGs will certainly need to be biostabilized, although they should preferably be exploited in a biorefinery chain scheme. A wide range of alternative options is available for use in recycling SCGs as a valuable resource: food additives, pharmaceutical components, bio-sorbents, bio-fuels, and bio-products. The option of producing biogas from SCGs was tested and lab-scale bio-methane potential experiments were performed using different substrate to inoculum (S/I) ratios, namely 0.5, 1, and 2. A S/I ratio of 2 was found to be the optimal condition, resulting in a methane yield of 0.36 m3CH4/kgVS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131, Padua, Italy

    Francesca Girotto, Alberto Pivato, Raffaello Cossu & Maria Cristina Lavagnolo

  2. National Advanced School of Public Works Yaoundé, P.O. Box 510, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    George Elambo Nkeng

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  1. Francesca Girotto
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  2. Alberto Pivato
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  3. Raffaello Cossu
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  4. George Elambo Nkeng
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  5. Maria Cristina Lavagnolo
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Correspondence to Francesca Girotto.

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Girotto, F., Pivato, A., Cossu, R. et al. The broad spectrum of possibilities for spent coffee grounds valorisation. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 20, 695–701 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-017-0621-5

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