Convenience-store chain OTR is partnering in a project aimed at redirecting coffee waste away from landfills. The Human Beans – Grounds For Good trial project involves OTR, Foodbank SA, Neutrog Australia, packaging maker Detpak and BioBag Australia.
The used coffee grounds are collected from 11 OTR stores and converted into fertiliser which is then sold in stores under the brand Human Bean.
OTR says it plans to expand the project into most of its stores over time and is targeting more than 200 tonnes of coffee grounds to be recycled and collected from its stores annually. Proceeds of the fertiliser sales will be donated to NGO, Foodbank SA.
“A kilogram of Human Beans fertiliser will contain coffee grounds from 25 cups of C Coffee with the proceeds from the sale of every bag of fertiliser subsidising five meals for Foodbank recipients, meaning every five C Coffees sold at an OTR store will now provide a meal to someone in need,” said OTR community partnerships manager Joann Skene.
“This project not only has social benefits but also environmental benefits and allows us to trial a full sustainability cycle for our C Coffee brand from the bean plantation through production and waste management by returning the coffee grounds to the soil as fertiliser.”
She said customers can scan their OTR App and will be able to choose where to donate the purchase they did through OTRGive.
“The Human Beans – Grounds for Good project is an innovative and ground-breaking collaboration between like-minded but very diverse organisations. OTR, Foodbank, Neutrog, BioBag and Detpak are all contributing to the project, capitalising on their respective strengths, and in turn gaining tangible benefits,” said Greg Pattinson, CEO, Foodbank SA.
“Furthermore, the people of SA all benefit from a significant reduction of waste going to landfill and helping put more food on the table of struggling families, just by simply buying this fantastic new fertiliser.”
Humans Beans Fertiliser is sold in a 1kg bags (containing about 25 coffee waste recycled). The product will be sold early next year for A$9.95.
