The Mission

The idea for our project began with a simple observation: a lot of coffee is being thrown away. As a barista, I see every day how much grounded coffee ends up as waste, even when it is collected separately. Through conversations with others in the business, it became clear that many coffee shops experience the same situation. Although they put effort into separating coffee grounds from other trash, the grounds still end up at the same waste yard and are ultimately discarded. Coffee consumption in the Netherlands is significant. People drink an estimated two to four cups of coffee a day, and at least 50% to 65% of the population consumes coffee daily. That equals roughly nine million people drinking coffee each day. This includes coffee made at home with devices that do not collect grounded beans, as well as coffee bought elsewhere. Meanwhile, shops that already collect the grounds separately currently do not have a meaningful outlet for them, even though the grounds still hold value and a possible purpose, such as being used as fertilizer for plants. Seeing this unnecessary waste is what drives us. We want to recycle and reduce avoidable trash as much as possible and contribute to a movement that changes how we view our food remains. Our mission is to accelerate the growth of recycling and the circular economy by focusing on long-term ecological benefits rather than short-term profits.

The Challenge

Although many coffee-selling businesses already separate their used coffee grounds from other waste, there is currently no dedicated system or outlet that allows these collected grounds to be reused. As a result, even when the separation work is done, the grounds still end up in the general waste stream and are ultimately thrown away. This creates a gap between intention and outcome. Businesses make the effort to separate their grounds, but without a practical solution for where to send them, that effort leads to no tangible environmental benefit. For those working within the industry, including baristas who observe this process firsthand, it feels like a missed opportunity: a resource that still holds value is treated as waste. The unmet need is therefore a simple and accessible way to ensure that the coffee grounds already being collected can be repurposed instead of discarded, turning daily waste into meaningful ecological value.

The solution

Our solution is to recycle grounded coffee beans into fertilizer or similar agricultural products in order to reduce waste. Many coffee shops already collect their used grounds separately, which creates an opportunity to redirect them toward meaningful reuse rather than disposal. Using Coffeelovers in Maastricht as an example, there are about five shops selling coffee daily. Each location separates approximately five kilos of grounded coffee beans per day, which totals around 35 kilos per week per shop. Across five locations, this results in roughly 175 kilos per week. Over the course of a year, this adds up to about 9100 kilos of coffee grounds. When accounting for irregularities, days off, or large events, a realistic estimate would fall between 8000 and 9500 kilos annually — and that is only for one chain in Maastricht. Rough estimates indicate that Maastricht has at least 100 locations that sell coffee. While not all of them grind beans or separate grounds, the potential for upscaling is significant. To turn this waste stream into value, participating coffee shops would collect their used grounds in biodegradable bags. A scheduled pickup system — ideally using an electric van — would collect these bags multiple times a week if needed. The grounds would then be transported to a central location, such as a warehouse, where they could be processed. This may include drying them and preparing them for reuse by mixing them with soil in an appropriate ratio (for example, 60% soil and 40% coffee grounds, depending on what proves effective during testing). Our solution not only focuses on recycling grounded coffee beans, but also on doing so in a way that does not add additional pollution or waste to the economy. To incentivize participation, businesses working with us would receive a certificate and a sustainable logo — a visible way to demonstrate their commitment to eco-friendly practices and responsible waste reduction. Success can be measured through tangible outcomes such as the number of participating cafés, the total kilos of coffee grounds collected and repurposed, and the distribution of sustainability certifications. Starting in Maastricht offers a practical scale to prove the model, with clear potential to expand further as the system develops.