-A multidisciplinary consortium drives the circular economy and the European Green Deal by reusing coffee grounds from vending machines and the HORECA sector.
-ECOFFEE develops innovative solutions for natural biocides and raises awareness among citizens about responsible consumption and environmental sustainability.
Brussels, 30 October 2025. ECOFFEE is a pilot project funded by the European Union through the CIRCULOOS project, under the Horizon Europe, which seeks to give a second life to coffee waste from vending machines and the HORECA sector. Through a collaborative approach between companies, technology centres, and innovation entities, ECOFFEE converts coffee grounds into natural ingredients for biocides and animal feed, contributing to the circular economy and the European Green Deal.
The main objectives of the ECOFFEE project are to transform waste into resources, revalue coffee grounds as a sustainable raw material, innovate in biocides and animal feed, and raise public awareness about the importance of connecting daily consumption with sustainability.
Funding and project duration
With a total budget of €256,451.25 and a duration of 12 months, ECOFFEE brings together a multidisciplinary consortium formed by AZTI, Euskovazza, Fumihogar, and Finnova Foundation, combining scientific, industrial, technological, and communication capacities to demonstrate a replicable and scalable circular innovation model across the European Union.
About CIRCULOOS
CIRCULOOS helps micro, small and medium-sized production companies redefine their supply chains through Circular Economy. New collaborations among production companies are driven by sustainability and the circularity on their products and processes.
ECOFFEE incorporates the digital solutions developed in the CIRCULOOS project which is especially significant as it allows tracing the reverse logistics of waste, guarantees process transparency, and measures the impact of circularity in real time. This tool is part of the project’s comprehensive approach, which combines the collection, treatment, and life cycle analysis (LCA) of coffee grounds to develop sustainable, replicable, and economically viable technological solutions. Thus, CIRCULOOS contributes to optimizing waste management and demonstrating the tangible value of the circular economy in the European context.
This technological integration strengthens ECOFFEE’s goal of transforming waste into high added-value resources, facilitating not only productive innovation but also traceability and commitment to environmental sustainability throughout the value chain. A significant environmental and social impact is expected, translated into a reduction of up to 30% in CO₂ emissions and a 100% valorization of collected coffee grounds.
About AZTI (Coordinator):
A technology centre specialized in marine, environmental, and food research. In ECOFFEE, it leads scientific coordination, by-product characterization, and environmental impact assessment using the GRETA tool.
About EUSKOVAZZA:
A vending company from the Basque Country pioneering circular waste management, supplying coffee and operating leading vending machines in Spain. In ECOFFEE, it implements the by-product collection pilot and defines the traceability system for data supply to RAMP.
About FUMIHOGAR:
Expert company in the development and formulation of fumigenes canisters (dry microdispersion) for various uses (biosafety, biological control and natural biocides). In ECOFFEE, it will develop biocide formulations from coffee by-products and condition the raw material (e.g., moisture control) for sector applicability.»
About FINNOVA:
The Finnova Foundation, based in Brussels, is a European foundation dedicated to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and access to European funding as key tools to address major environmental, social, and economic challenges. In ECOFFEE, it manages dissemination actions in Spanish regions and coordinates political engagement activities in Brussels with European Union institutions.
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