Latte-street innovation: coffee-infused concrete breaks new ground | RMIT University

Australia generates around 75,000 tonnes of ground coffee waste annually, contributing to 6.87 million tonnes of organic waste in landfills, which account for 3 per cent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.  

To tackle the problem, the team developed an innovative, low-energy thermochemical process that transforms spent coffee grounds into biochar which is then used as an additive to enhance concrete strength by 30 per cent.  

This groundbreaking research tackles waste management challenges and supports Australia's NetZero 2050 goal by reducing the cement industry's 7-8 per cent share of global CO₂ emissions and lowering national landfill-related emissions.

The coffee concrete is already in use, featured in Victoria's Big Build projects and showcased at Germany's prestigious Futurium museum as an innovative material for a sustainable future. With venture capital-backed commercialisation underway, this innovation is making a significant impact on the circular economy and construction industry.

Finalists - Dr Rajeev Roychand, Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch, Jie Li, Mohammad Saberian