Taiwan firms such as Singtex Industrial Co. Ltd. and Hair O’right International Corp. have found a way to turn coffee grounds into profitable materials, helping the environment at the same time as generating wealth.
Special yarns and shampoos are just some of the products that exploit the grounds’ anti-fungal and deodorizing properties the companies have developed so far, with an eye on international markets.
In the past three years, Taiwan has imported more than US$100 million of coffee beans annually, with 20 percent growth in the number of coffee shops, according to ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs statistics. Daily coffee ground production is about 30 tons.
The demand for coffee is gradually increasing according to the MOEA, with a total of about 600 outlets as of the end of October last year for Taiwan's five main coffee chains—Starbucks, Dante, Ikari, Mr. Brown and Seattle—up 30 percent on 2007.
So as not to waste coffee grounds, hair care product manufacturer O’right developed the Recoffee process to extract coffee oil and to make shampoo from used coffee grounds.
“Recoffee is a cradle-to-cradle green concept,” O’right CEO Steven Ko said. Each liter of shampoo uses the grounds from 16 Starbucks medium cups, and the biodegradable plastic bottle is made containing recycled grounds. The bottle base can also double as a planter for coffee seedlings.
New Taipei City-based Singtex said the yarn it makes from recycled grounds has been sold to more than 100 international brands, including Nike, Patagonia, Puma, The North Face and Timberland.
Recently, the firm has gathered more than 60 up, mid and downstream textile manufacturers from around the world, and established S. Cafe Partnership Innovation Inspiration Nature program based in Shanghai. Many of the members are high-tech fabric producers, such as wetsuit-makers Sheico Group, providing solutions ranging from raw materials and fabrics to ready-to-wear apparel design and production.
Singtex is working to expand its range of products made from coffee grounds. Products under development include foam, membranes and household goods made from coffee oil.
The firm said its current usage of 500 kilograms of coffee grounds daily is gradually increasing. Most of the grounds are sourced from coffee chains, and it is working with contract coffee shops on educating employees to improve recycling efforts. (SDH)
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