Name: Morning coffees make greener concrete in Australia
Uploaded: 2024-05-24T19:01:38.131Z
Duration: 2 min 24 s
Description: Australian researchers are turning used coffee grounds into a material that can be added to concrete to make it stronger and more sustainable, potentially lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Australian researchers are turning used coffee grounds into a material that can be added to concrete to make it stronger and more sustainable, potentially lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

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Australian researchers are transforming used coffee grounds into a sustainable material that can be added to concrete. This innovative process, developed by RMIT University, involves heating the coffee grounds to over 650 degrees Fahrenheit in an oxygen-free chamber to create a substance called biochar. Biochar can replace up to 15% of sand used in concrete, making it 30% stronger and potentially reducing the use of cement, a highly carbon-intensive material.

Lead researcher Rajiv Royshand estimates that 100% of Australia's coffee waste could be recycled into concrete applications. Coffee production is responsible for around 7% of the world's CO2 emissions, according to the United Nations. The extraction of sand and gravel, which is used extensively in concrete, is often environmentally destructive and the UN reports it is in increasingly short supply.

A test footpath has already been constructed using the coffee-enhanced concrete. The RMIT team is collaborating with several construction and concrete companies and is forming their own biochar company. They are also in talks with large coffee chains like Starbucks to source coffee grounds. Local coffee shop owner Tony Roussos supports the initiative, noting that it could bring down the cost of concrete while benefiting the environment.

Royshand envisions the technology being applied to more than just coffee waste. He anticipates that 60 to 70% of organic waste currently ending up in landfills could be diverted into concrete applications.



Morning coffees make greener concrete in Australia

Your morning cup of coffee could help the planet. That's the promise of one Australian university that's transforming used coffee grounds into more sustainable concrete. They say the process could potentially lower greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers at RMIT University are heating the coffee grounds to over 650 degrees Fahrenheit in an oxygen-free chamber to create a substance called biochar. They claim biochar can replace up to 15% of the sand used in concrete and make it 30% stronger. We can leverage that to even reduce the cement content, which is a highly carbon-intensive material. Rajiv Royshand is the lead researcher. We anticipate that the whole 100% of coffee waste in Australia can be recycled into concrete applications. Coffee production is responsible for around 7% of the world's CO2 emissions, according to the United Nations. Over 55 billion tons of sand and gravel are dug up each year, mostly for use in concrete. Its extraction is often environmentally destructive, and the UN says it's in increasingly short supply. This footpath was successfully made with coffee concrete. The researchers here are working with several construction and concrete companies and forming their own biochar company. They're also in talks with Starbucks to take its coffee grounds. Local coffee shop owner Tony Roussos says he would get in on the action, too. Fantastic. It's a very innovative idea, bring the cost of concrete down, and the materials. Obviously, there's a benefit to the environment for not using harsh chemicals and replacing it with coffee grounds as a natural product, easy to access, a lot of cafes could sell their coffee grounds, so in the end, it's a great solution. Royshand says that eventually, the technology could be used for more than just coffee. In terms of the real world, our focus is that we try to transform all of the organic waste that is ending up in landfills for this positive application in concrete. We anticipate that about 60 to 70% we can divert from landfills into concrete applications.

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