Consume 2 billion cups of coffee a day and use the rest of the coffee residue for these purposes.

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Recently, IEA announced the situation of photovoltaic installation in 2018, with the top 10 being: China, India, the United States, Japan, Australia, Germany, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey and New Zealand. More than 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed globally, and most of the coffee grounds are thrown away, sending 6 million tons to landfills each year. Decomposing coffee grounds releases methane into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential 86 times higher than carbon dioxide.

According to an article published on the World Economic Forum website, coffee grounds can be used and contribute to the circular economy in the following five ways:

1. Biofuel

The natural oil in coffee grounds can be extracted and used as biofuel. Oil from waste coffee grounds is extracted and mixed with alcohol for a chemical reaction called transesterification, which produces biodiesel of about 80% coffee and 20% alcohol, plus glycerol as a by-product. Biodiesel is cleaned and refined to form a final product, which can be used as a standard biofuel for power generation. In a recent experiment, Dunkin'Donuts, an American chain, developed a house powered entirely by biofuels derived from coffee, which was rented out by Airbnb.

two。 Coffee wood

Biological beans, a British company, collects coffee grounds from businesses, universities and train stations across the country and processes thousands of tons of coffee waste into coffee wood at a coffee recycling plant in Cambridgeshire. Coffee wood burns 20% more than kiln-dried wood, and emissions from burning coffee wood are 80% less than sending coffee grounds to landfills.

3. Capture greenhouse gases

Scientists have found a way to store carbon dioxide and methane in waste coffee grounds, which are heated with potassium hydroxide to produce a substance that can store methane. The material, produced from treated coffee grounds, can store up to 7% of its weight in methane and is stable at room temperature. It can also be used to store carbon dioxide, and this method is relatively fast and cheap compared with other carbon capture and storage methods currently available.

4. Fertilizer

Perhaps the easiest way to recycle coffee grounds is to use them as fertilizer. Many cafes and coffee chains provide free venues for their customers to take away and use in the garden. But one thing to note: studies have shown that coffee grounds must be composted for at least 98 days before being put into plants. Because coffee contains high concentrations of * *, chlorogenic acid and tannins that are toxic to plants. After composting coffee grounds, these toxins subside, and plants can benefit from the potassium and nitrogen contained in baked beans.

5. Shampoo hair

In addition to being rich in natural oils, potassium and nitrogen, coffee grounds also have abrasive properties, making them a renewable substitute for a variety of household cleaning products. They can even be used to clean hair. For people who use styling products, applying coffee grounds to their hair in the shower can help loosen up and remove the residue left behind by these products.

The article is from: China Energy Network