Recycling Spent Coffee Grounds into Composite Material
Mechanical Engineering Department
Our engineering project focuses on recycling one of the world’s most abundant waste materials spent coffee grounds into a sustainable material as an alternative to wood. With over 2.25 billion cups of coffee consumed daily, the environmental impact of coffee waste is staggering. The coffee industry generates millions of tons of waste annually, much of which ends up in landfills and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Our project aims to tackle this issue by developing an eco-friendly composite material made primarily from used coffee grounds. This material is intended to rival traditional Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF) a popular material in furniture and construction that, while cost-effective, is often made with toxic resins and is not environmentally sustainable. By reimagining coffee waste as a resource, we seek to create a durable, lightweight, and biodegradable material that can serve as a green alternative to MDF. The goal is not only to reduce landfill waste and carbon emissions but also to offer a viable, market-ready solution that promotes sustainability in everyday products.