Giving Coffee Grounds a Second Life
At the 2025 Glasgow Coffee Festival, we’re making sure that every cup of coffee counts—even after it’s been brewed. This year, all used coffee grounds from the festival will be collected and repurposed for scientific research.
Why Repurpose Coffee Grounds?
Closing the Loop: A Circular Economy Approach
We’re committed to reducing waste and embracing the principles of a circular economy. Working with Change Waste Recycling, we ensure that nothing ends up in landfill and that we collect valuable data on our carbon footprint. This helps us continuously improve our sustainability efforts.
Understanding the Impact
As a coffee festival, used coffee grounds are one of our biggest waste streams. On average, brewing a single 250ml cup uses about 14g of coffee. It might not sound like much—but multiply that by over 2,000 attendees across the weekend, and it adds up fast.
When disposed of in landfill, used grounds decompose and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But coffee grounds still have untapped potential—they’re rich in organic matter and can be used for composting, energy recovery, and even the creation of innovative materials.
We’re proud to repurpose our coffee waste in a way that contributes to real environmental solutions and showcases the creative potential of sustainable thinking.
A Collaboration for a Greener Future
This year, we’re excited to partner with Dr Heloisa Dickinson, a researcher in Biogeotechnical Engineering at the University of Glasgow and part of the GALLANT project. Her research explores the use of enzymes extracted from spent coffee grounds to help remediate contaminated soils and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
In simple terms, she’s investigating how used coffee grounds can trigger natural mineral formations in soil—structures that can trap pollutants and lock away CO₂. The end result? Healthier, more stable soils and a tangible contribution to environmental restoration.
Dr Dickinson will collect all the coffee grounds from this weekend’s festival for her research—and she’ll also be speaking about her work. If you’re curious to learn more, be sure to catch her talk on Saturday at 10:15 am.
