Circle K Latvia has found an innovative use for its waste coffee grounds by transforming it into coffee briquettes to be used as fire starters.
Working with local start-up Koffeco and Riga Technical University, the coffee grounds are crushed, transformed by high temperatures, broken down, and compacted, resulting in coffee briquettes that release 25 per cent more heat and burn 20 per cent longer than most types of wood.
Gatis Pavārs, Director of Market Development at Circle K Latvia, said at every step of the journey they are looking for greener and more sustainable solutions.
“Circle K sites in Latvia sell more than 7 million coffee cups a year, which represents 90 tons of coffee waste. In collaboration with Koffeco, we can implement the final stage in the sustainable coffee life cycle and recycle coffee grounds.
“Customers will soon be able to purchase coffee briquettes in Latvia’s largest stores.” So far, two tonnes of coffee grounds have been recycled into the coffee briquettes.