The initiative, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, tackles the significant environmental impact of the HORECA sector by valorising coffee waste into ingredients for the animal feed and biocides industries.
The new audiovisual content explains how circular economy principles and the reuse of these by-products can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30%.
Brussels, 3 August 2026 – The European project ECOFFEE has officially launched its new educational video, now available on its official website (https://ecoffeeproject.eu/). The video highlights one of the most overlooked environmental challenges facing the agri-food and hospitality sectors: the large-scale management of spent coffee grounds.
According to the figures presented in the video, every kilogram of coffee consumed generates approximately two kilograms of spent coffee grounds as waste. Given that hotels, restaurants and cafés (the HORECA sector) serve more than 535 million cups of coffee every week, the resulting volume of waste represents a considerable environmental burden.
From urban waste to a strategic resource
Far from being a simple waste product, spent coffee grounds are rich in high-value compounds, including fibre, lipids and bioactive molecules. Through an innovative circular economy model combined with reverse logistics, the ECOFFEE project collects these residues and transforms them into high-value ingredients for two key sectors:
·Animal feed: providing sustainable, locally sourced nutrients.
·Biocides: harnessing the natural antimicrobial and repellent properties of coffee as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic formulations.
Driving sustainability and contributing to the SDGs
The reuse of spent coffee grounds promoted by ECOFFEE can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 30%, while simultaneously decreasing dependence on imported raw materials and supporting the creation of green jobs and new local bio-based businesses. The initiative makes a direct contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aligns with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
To watch the full video and learn more about the project's progress and its consortium partners, visit the official website: https://ecoffeeproject.eu/.