It's the most popular drink worldwide. According to the British Coffee Association, approximately two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. But after the beans have been picked, roasted and brewed, the grounds (渣子) are often treated as waste. With the environment and resource consumption such hot topics at the moment, wouldn't it be great if we could reuse this waste to make something useful?
The company OCHIS produces sunglasses. Max Havrylenko, founder of the company, was searching for an alternative material to plastic. He wanted to "solve the problem of plastic use and overconsumption so as to create a greener world," he told the Guardian. OCHIS heats the grounds with vegetable oils, forming a bond. These are pressed into plates which are durable and flexible. These are then cut into the arms and frames of the glasses. "Don't worry, " he says, "They won't dissolve (溶解) in the rain."
Rosalie McMillan, a London jeweler, uses recycled coffee grounds along with gold and silver to make handcrafted jewelry. Mixed with oils, the coffee is then subjected to heat and pressure to create a compound she calls "Curface". Her website says it has a "beautiful surface quality and texture" with similar properties to hardwood.
What about a coffee cup made from them? Kaffeeform is a German-based company that transforms used grounds and renewable plant-based raw materials into a durable composite. This is shaped into a variety of containers and polished and finished, ready to be sold. So, you can drink your coffee from a cup made of coffee.
And it doesn't stop there. Even without a factory, you can make use of coffee grounds. They make excel-lent fertilizer (肥料). You can highlight something against them, or mix them with water to make a brown-toned paint. And the list goes on. So next time you finish your morning cup, lake a while to think again.
