Logo GroundsUp

Coffee waste as a resource

Logo GroundsUp

Coffee waste as a resource

Coffee waste as a resource

coffees per Belgian per year
1
tonnes of coffee grounds per year
1
tonnes CO2 emitted each year
1

The problem

Belgians have a passion for coffee, consuming an average of 800 cups per person per year, making us the 8th largest coffee consumer in the world. However, shockingly, only 1% of the coffee we brew is actually used, with the remaining 99% ending up as waste. This adds up to a staggering 67,000 tonnes of coffee grounds discarded each year, which is equivalent to the weight of 28 Atomium structures.

Globally, the problem is even more severe, with approximately 18 million tonnes of coffee grounds wasted each year. And the environmental impact is significant: processing just one kilogram of coffee grounds as waste generates 775 grams of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to a car travelling 7 kilometers. In Belgium alone, processing the 67,000 tonnes of coffee grounds annually results in a staggering 52 million kilograms of CO2 emissions per year.

But there’s hope. At Grounds Up, we believe in the potential of coffee grounds. We’re committed to finding innovative ways to transform this waste into a valuable resource for different industries, creating maximum value and minimizing our environmental impact. Join us on this journey to turn coffee waste into a force for good!

coffees per Belgian per year
1
tonnes of coffee grounds per year
1
tonnes CO2 emitted per year
1

The problem

Belgians have a passion for coffee, consuming an average of 800 cups per person per year, making us the 8th largest coffee consumer in the world. However, shockingly, only 1% of the coffee we brew is actually used, with the remaining 99% ending up as waste. This adds up to a staggering 67,000 tonnes of coffee grounds discarded each year, which is equivalent to the weight of 28 Atomium structures. Globally, the problem is even more severe, with approximately 18 million tonnes of coffee grounds wasted each year. And the environmental impact is significant: processing just one kilogram of coffee grounds as waste generates 775 grams of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to a car travelling 7 kilometers. In Belgium alone, processing the 67,000 tonnes of coffee grounds annually results in a staggering 52 million kilograms of CO2 emissions per year.
But there’s hope. At Grounds Up, we believe in the potential of coffee grounds. We’re committed to finding innovative ways to transform this waste into a valuable resource for different industries, creating maximum value and minimizing our environmental impact. Join us on this journey to turn coffee waste into a force for good!

THE SOLUTION

At Grounds Up, we’re committed to finding new ways to transform coffee waste into valuable resources for different industries. By upcycling, which involves turning waste into high-quality materials or products, we aim to create as much value as possible.

With upcycling, coffee grounds can become the foundation for new and innovative products, from bioplastics and building materials to cosmetics and beyond. By giving coffee waste a new life, we can reduce our environmental impact and create new opportunities for sustainable product development.
Join us on our mission to turn coffee waste into a valuable resource for the circular economy!
  • Coffee grounds

    Coffee grounds are collected from coffee hotspots such as coffee houses, cafés, restaurants and businesses.

  • Decontamination & Drying

    The coffee grounds are decontaminated and dried. This ensures a stable resource that functions as our base raw material.

  • Extraction

    Valuable substances are extracted from the coffee grounds for use in new products.

  • Raw materials

    The extraction of coffee grounds creates two new raw materials: coffee oil and press cake.

  • Semi-Finished Products

    The raw materials, coffee oil and press cake, are processed into semi-finished products.

  • Finished Products

    The semi-finished products can be processed into a very large number of finished products.

  • Coffee grounds

    Coffee grounds are collected from coffee hotspots such as coffee houses, cafés, restaurants and businesses.

  • Decontamination & Drying

    The coffee grounds are decontaminated and dried. This ensures a stable resource that functions as our base raw material.

  • Extraction

    Valuable substances are extracted from the coffee grounds for use in new products.

  • Raw materials

    The extraction of coffee grounds creates two new raw materials: coffee oil and press cake.

  • Semi-Finished Products

    The raw materials, coffee oil and press cake, are processed into semi-finished products.

  • Finished Products

    The semi-finished products can be processed into a very large number of finished products.

The solution

At Grounds Up, we’re committed to finding new ways to transform coffee waste into valuable resources for different industries. By upcycling, which involves turning waste into high-quality materials or products, we aim to create as much value as possible.

With upcycling, coffee grounds can become the foundation for new and innovative products, from bioplastics and building materials to cosmetics and beyond. By giving coffee waste a new life, we can reduce our environmental impact and create new opportunities for sustainable product development.
Join us on our mission to turn coffee waste into a valuable resource for the circular economy!

THE OPTIONS

We’re constantly exploring new and innovative ways to upcycle coffee waste into valuable raw materials, semifinished or finished products. Spent coffee grounds have already been used to create a wide range of products, from bioplastics and cosmetics to biofuels and building materials.

But we believe that this is just the beginning. As we continue to experiment and develop new upcycling processes, we’re discovering even more potential applications for coffee waste. Do you have a new idea or want to start a project? Hit us up!

Current projects

The Grounds Cup

Grounds Up created reusable coffee cups based on coffee grounds for our customer Izy Coffee. Interested in your own cups with your own logo? Hit us up!

The Grounds Compound

We’ve developed a compound that can be used for injection moulding. Seeing the potential for this in your own products? Hit us up!
The Grounds Compound​
Compounds made from coffee grounds

The Options

We’re constantly exploring new and innovative ways to upcycle coffee waste into valuable raw materials, semifinished or finished products. Spent coffee grounds have already been used to create a wide range of products, from bioplastics and cosmetics to biofuels and building materials.

But we believe that this is just the beginning. As we continue to experiment and develop new upcycling processes, we’re discovering even more potential applications for coffee waste. Do you have a new idea or want to start a project? Hit us up!

Groundulates
Compound made from coffee grounds

Current projects

NeRoo cup

Grounds Up created reusable coffee cups based on upcycled coffee grounds. Interested in your own cups with your own logo? Hit us up!

Groundulates

We’ve developed a compound that can be used for injection moulding. Seeing the potential for this in your own products? Hit us up!

What's in for you?

I want to start a project

Would you like to use coffee grounds to develop a (new) application? Contact us and discover the endless possibilities of coffee grounds.

What's in for you?

I want to start a project

Would you like to use coffee grounds to develop a (new) application? Contact us and discover the endless possibilities of coffee grounds.

About us

GroundsUp is a Belgian start-up with a clear mission: to become the world’s leading coffee grounds upcycling company. Our goal is to create maximum value for various industries, including bioplastics, building, cosmetics, food, agriculture, wax, and purification industries, by upcycling coffee grounds that would otherwise go to waste.

We are committed to contributing to a more sustainable future by transforming a once-discarded resource into a valuable raw material, reducing the burden on the environment.

Our partners

Our partners

ABOUT US​

GroundsUp is a Belgian start-up with a clear mission: to become the world’s leading coffee grounds upcycling company. Our goal is to create maximum value for various industries, including bioplastics, building, cosmetics, food, agriculture, wax, and purification industries, by upcycling coffee grounds that would otherwise go to waste.

We are committed to contributing to a more sustainable future by transforming a once-discarded resource into a valuable raw material, reducing the burden on the environment.

Get in touch

Get in touch