790
I. C. Ribeiro et al.
1 Introduction: The Valorization of Used Coffee Ground
in University Campus
The degradation and overuse of natural resources has meant that new sustainable
perspectives are devised and put into practice as a way to readjust the equilibrium of
existing relations on the planet. Thus, the development of actions focused on changes
in the behavior of people seems to be an efficient tool to face the challenge of decentralized organic solid waste management. Educational institutions often face challenges related to the dissemination of knowledge regarding waste reduction habits in
spite of being open to new ways of valuing internally generated organic solid waste
(OSW).
University campuses are appropriate places to learning and consolidating new
practices, especially the sustainable ones. In this context, the Federal Institute of
Espirito Santo—Ifes, Vitoria campus, is an adequate generator of organic solid waste,
such as food waste and especially used coffee grounds. This characteristic is a reflection of the increasing production and consumption of the beverage in Brazil and
all over the world. Despite the growing production and consumption of the coffee
beverage, even in university campuses, the importance given to the increase in the
generation of the coffee grounds and to the adoption of environmentally adequate
practices for the management of this kind of waste, is not as high as it should be.
The used coffee ground is a solid residue generated after the hot aqueous extraction, after its grains have been roasted and grounded, besides the continuous residue
generated in the industrial production process of the soluble coffee (Bravo et al.
2013).
Data from the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association indicate that consumption
of this beverage in Brazil was 81 L or 4.90 kg per capita in 2015 (ABIC 2015). It is
estimated that for each ton of processed green coffee, 650 kg of used coffee grounds
are generated, and 2 kg of that same residue is generated for each kilo of soluble
coffee produced (Murthy and Naidu 2017). In addition to the volume generated, the
concern with the adequate disposal or reuse of the coffee grounds derives from its
highly polluting nature caused by the presence of organic matter, which demands a
large amount of oxygen to be degraded (Silva et al. 1998).
Within this context, sustainable alternatives for the valorization of this organic
solid residue are still incipient. Biotechnological solutions such as composting/vermicomposting and biodigestion appear as methods to add value to the large
amount of used coffee ground generated in Brazil. Most of this waste ends up directed
to landfills or dumps, leading to several problems. The proper treatment of organic
waste directly at the generation site represents an important contribution in the search
for planet sustainability. These strategies also promote mitigation of greenhouse
gases (GHG) emissions resulting from the transportation and disposal of this waste
in landfills, where anaerobic conditions are predominant.
The importance of encouraging composting and biodigestion as sustainable practices in school environments has been gaining prominence. Hence, educational institutions have been working as living laboratories dedicated to developing actions and
I. C. Ribeiro et al.
1 Introduction: The Valorization of Used Coffee Ground
in University Campus
The degradation and overuse of natural resources has meant that new sustainable
perspectives are devised and put into practice as a way to readjust the equilibrium of
existing relations on the planet. Thus, the development of actions focused on changes
in the behavior of people seems to be an efficient tool to face the challenge of decentralized organic solid waste management. Educational institutions often face challenges related to the dissemination of knowledge regarding waste reduction habits in
spite of being open to new ways of valuing internally generated organic solid waste
(OSW).
University campuses are appropriate places to learning and consolidating new
practices, especially the sustainable ones. In this context, the Federal Institute of
Espirito Santo—Ifes, Vitoria campus, is an adequate generator of organic solid waste,
such as food waste and especially used coffee grounds. This characteristic is a reflection of the increasing production and consumption of the beverage in Brazil and
all over the world. Despite the growing production and consumption of the coffee
beverage, even in university campuses, the importance given to the increase in the
generation of the coffee grounds and to the adoption of environmentally adequate
practices for the management of this kind of waste, is not as high as it should be.
The used coffee ground is a solid residue generated after the hot aqueous extraction, after its grains have been roasted and grounded, besides the continuous residue
generated in the industrial production process of the soluble coffee (Bravo et al.
2013).
Data from the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association indicate that consumption
of this beverage in Brazil was 81 L or 4.90 kg per capita in 2015 (ABIC 2015). It is
estimated that for each ton of processed green coffee, 650 kg of used coffee grounds
are generated, and 2 kg of that same residue is generated for each kilo of soluble
coffee produced (Murthy and Naidu 2017). In addition to the volume generated, the
concern with the adequate disposal or reuse of the coffee grounds derives from its
highly polluting nature caused by the presence of organic matter, which demands a
large amount of oxygen to be degraded (Silva et al. 1998).
Within this context, sustainable alternatives for the valorization of this organic
solid residue are still incipient. Biotechnological solutions such as composting/vermicomposting and biodigestion appear as methods to add value to the large
amount of used coffee ground generated in Brazil. Most of this waste ends up directed
to landfills or dumps, leading to several problems. The proper treatment of organic
waste directly at the generation site represents an important contribution in the search
for planet sustainability. These strategies also promote mitigation of greenhouse
gases (GHG) emissions resulting from the transportation and disposal of this waste
in landfills, where anaerobic conditions are predominant.
The importance of encouraging composting and biodigestion as sustainable practices in school environments has been gaining prominence. Hence, educational institutions have been working as living laboratories dedicated to developing actions and