Ways to Reuse Spent Coffee Ground: a Brief Overview

Abstract

Currently, coffee is among the most consumed non-alcoholic beverages in the world. Due to the increased consumer demand for coffee, there is an excessive production of waste arising during this beverage preparation. The accumulated waste from coffee consumption is in literature named spent coffee grounds (SCG). The accumulation of SCG can adversely affect the environment. When significant amounts of SCG are disposed of inlandfills, their anaerobic degradation occurs, which leads to the formation and emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, chemical substances are released into the environment, such as tannins, polyphenols or caffeine, which can affect soil fertility. In order to reduce the undesirable impact on the environment, various repeated methods of this by-product utilization and their application on the market are being studied. The aim of the work was to create an up-to-date overview of the use of SCG invarious branches of industry. The information obtained can be considered usable foundation and base for further research about SCG.