Soon the spent grounds used to make your Starbucks espresso
could wind up in your next bottle of laundry detergent. With some processing,
that is.
According to research presented at a meeting of the American
Chemical Society, a new City University of Hong Kong bio-refinery is testing a
method of breaking down organic matter and turning it into everyday products
like laundry detergent, plastic and more. Hong Kong-based Starbucks stores have
agreed to send the lab their spent coffee grounds and stale pastries in an
effort to divert some of their food waste.
Hong Kong Starbucks locations produce an estimated 4,500
tons of spent coffee grounds each year, according to an American Chemical
Society press release.