Toward Circular Economy: Potentials of Spent Coffee Grounds in Bioproducts and Chemical Production

Abstract

With growing concern over environmental sustainability and dwindling fossil resources, it is crucial to prioritise the development of alternative feedstocks to replace fossil resources. Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are an environmental burden with an estimated six million tons being generated on a wet basis annually, globally. SCGs are rich in cellulose, lignin, protein, lipids, polyphenols and other bioactive compounds which are important raw materials for use in industries including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Furthermore, the energy sector has the potential to capitalize on the high calorific value of SCGs for biofuel and biogas production, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. SCGs are readily available, abundant, and cheap, however, SCGs are currently underutilized, and a significant amount are dumped into landfills. This review explores the potential of SCGs as a source of a value-added compound through various conversion technologies employed in the valorisation of SCGs into biochar, biofuel, and important chemical building blocks. The state-of-the-art, current knowledge, future research to stimulate the creation of sustainable products, and the challenges and economic feasibility of exploring SCGs in a biorefinery context are presented.

Evaluation of Growth and Energy Parameters of One-Year-Old Raspberry Shoots, Depending on the Variety

“…As a renewable resource, biomass has been recognized as an alternative fuel that can provide sustainable energy solutions for the future [6,7]. Traditionally, biomass in the form of firewood was used to generate energy through direct combustion, which constituted the primary method of its utilization [8]. Continuous efforts are being made to refine biomass processing technologies to reduce the costs of bioenergy production [9].…”