Waste coffee collection launched in Birmingham

Aim to save businesses money and cut CO2 emissions.

In the first expansion of its collection route outside of London, waste coffee recycling company bio-bean has begun recycling spent coffee grounds from catering outlets across the University of Birmingham campus.

In collaboration with waste management companies including First Mile, bio-bean’s collection and recycling services are now available to coffee shops, office blocks and other businesses that produce coffee waste all over Birmingham. Working with bio-bean saves businesses money on waste disposal fees, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through diverting waste from landfill.

The spent coffee grounds will be taken to bio-bean’s world-first coffee recycling facility in Cambridgeshire and will be processed into innovative, sustainable biofuels like Coffee Logs.

Arthur Kay, founder and CEO of bio-bean, said: “I’m thrilled that we have begun recycling waste coffee from Birmingham – we can now help hundreds more businesses save money and cut their CO2 emissions. We’re keen to get recycling coffee grounds from all of Birmingham’s coffee shops, restaurants and offices, so if you would like to join our coffee collection route, visit our website at www.bio-bean.com/collection.”

Stuart Richards, Director of Hospitality and Accommodation Services at the University of Birmingham, added: “With more than 40,000 staff and students based on our campus in Edgbaston we anticipate that around 22 tonnes of coffee grounds are produced each year, so it is great to be able to work in partnership with companies like bio-bean and First Mile to maximise the use of our waste resources and support our Carbon Management Plan. This relationship will further promote jobs, skills and innovation in the West Midlands and we are very excited to be the first university to partner with them.”