EcoGeek

Fill your car with Starbucks diesel?

Coffee is well known for being able to power the economic engine that is America's workforce. But its not particularly good at powering actual engines. It's much better at making compost, if you're going to try and find something to do with it.

Well, that may no longer be the case. Some chemical engineers at the University of Nevada are reporting that they've made a high quality bio-diesel from coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are actually about 15% oil, which isn't a great percentage for a bio-diesel crop. Unless you don't have to grow it, and companies might actually pay you to help get rid of it.

The researchers estimate that their process could produce about 340 million gallons of bio-diesel from coffee world wide, and that they could make about $8 million in profits just from Starbuck's grounds.

It's not going to save the world, but it's certainly a smart use for what is otherwise just trash.

Via ArsTechnica and Gas2.org

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comments from our community

Showing 1 - 15 of 33 comments

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  • Posted by Tom the Taco Maker Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:13am PST
    oh wow..
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by SportteaS Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:39am PST
    Go Nevada!!!
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by Bob Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:45am PST
    no way
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by tude Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:47am PST
    As long as it doesn't cost as much as a cup of coffee.
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by gunter25@sbcglobal.net Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:50am PST
    "Can I have cream and suger with that!" Can you imagine wakeing up to the morning air smelling like coffee I think that would drive coffee drinkers nuts! They would be running around sniffing the air entail they can get there cup of coffee.
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by rex Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:54am PST
    and how much fuel it will cost to transport the coffee grounds to make that biodiesel. Ethanol from corn has shown to be a bust but it makes people feel good. sigh
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by LisaP Sat Dec 6, 2008 9:58am PST
    Talk about Coffee Achievers.
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by roryh Sat Dec 6, 2008 10:15am PST
    way to go Nevada!!!!!!!!!
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by Marga Sat Dec 6, 2008 10:16am PST
    Coffee grounds are much lighter than corn by volume, so I imagine it would be cheaper to transport. It's making something that would otherwise become compost at best reusable and that's a great thing!
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by hunkdaddy Sat Dec 6, 2008 10:22am PST
    Grest, is that with or without whip? No whip!
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by Randy - Sat Dec 6, 2008 10:51am PST
    Much more fuel can be produced, per acre, from hemp than from corn (up to 10X).... not to mention loads of other products. And the margin of profit is much greater too.
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by rex scates Sat Dec 6, 2008 10:51am PST
    The good hope is that we need to put more research into bacteria that use cellulose into fuel and not just sugar into fuel. When we get a good cellulose bacteria system solved it will go a long way to our liquid fuel problems. We need to be using natural gas for fleet vehicles (busses etc...) and get more clean nuclear to produce electricity online asap.(6-8 years) Then we can have a good electric vehicle solution for our cars. Until then if we do electric vehicles we will overload the electrical grid. Vehicles use more energy that your house does so solar panels can only supplement electricity for vehicles. but yes if starbucks had a economical way to pick up the grounds while they were dropping off supplies to the chains and the put the grounds at their warehouse (see no extra truck trips) and do the processing at their supply warehouses then it would be a good thing. Heck they could put that fuel into their trucks. They would not be able to completely supplant their truck fuel but it would cut off many extra supply links. But Starbucks would probably rather sell bio diesel so customers (for publicity) even thou that extra selling would waste a many gallons of diesel. I better shut up now :)
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by Jim Sat Dec 6, 2008 10:53am PST
    Why? Gasoline is cheap.
    Report Abuse
  • Posted by rex scates Sat Dec 6, 2008 11:16am PST
    great another Hemp will solve the world person. if you think this is true then switch grass is twice as good as Hemp. So why not support switch grass. And yes corn is not a good choice unless your doing cellulose to methanol bacteria production. here read this switch grass is much better than hemp. http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/01/11/1847256&from=rss Ohh wait switch grass wont make you high so its not a good alternative.
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  • Posted by bluejay Sat Dec 6, 2008 11:16am PST
    We do not own the Earth. It is loaned to us by our Great Grand Children. What ever we can do to protect the Earth is our duty.
    Report Abuse

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