What Is Project: Capriole?
Project: Capriole is a feasibility-driven initiative with great scaling potential, aiming to work with coffee waste in innovative ways. Based in Luxembourg, this project taps into the versatility of coffee waste, transforming it into valuable products like clothes, soil enhancers, and briquettes for heating. By partnering with coffee roasters and leveraging their existing infrastructure, Capriole offers a scalable and feasible solution that turns coffee waste into a genuine business opportunity. It’s not just about profit—it’s about doing well for the environment and giving roasters a lifeline to actively participate in the circular economy. The project has cracked the code on extending the life of coffee waste through industrial symbiosis and a smart return-scheme, opening doors to huge scaling possibilities.
Main Benefits of Project: Capriole
Here’s why Project: Capriole stands out:
- Coffee waste is a highly versatile resource, usable for everything from clothing to soil management and heating briquettes.
- A cup of coffee leaves behind most of its energy in the waste, which burns even longer than wood—talk about hidden potential!
- By incentivizing coffee roasters to adopt a refill-pickup system, waste collection becomes scalable and efficient—full trucks deliver coffee, full trucks return with waste.
- Each kilogram of coffee produced carries a carbon footprint of approximately 4.98 kg CO2, yet most coffee waste ends up in landfills—wasting a valuable resource.
- Scaling up is achievable by teaming up with roasters across different countries, enabling rapid and independent expansion.
Turning Coffee Waste Into Briquettes
One of the biggest challenges in sustainability is helping consumers become more eco-friendly without forcing drastic changes in their behavior. Project: Capriole addresses this by converting coffee waste into briquettes—a simple, effective way to promote sustainability. These briquettes offer a practical alternative for heating, burning longer than traditional wood and making use of a resource that would otherwise be discarded. It’s a win-win: consumers get an easy, sustainable option, and coffee waste gains a new lease on life.
Industrial Symbiosis and Return-Scheme
At the heart of Project: Capriole lies an innovative industrial symbiosis combined with a return-scheme. This means coffee roasters not only produce coffee but also participate in collecting and returning coffee waste, creating a closed-loop system. The existing infrastructure of roasters is cleverly utilized, making the process both feasible and scalable. This approach reduces waste, cuts down on landfill use, and fosters collaboration between businesses, all while supporting the circular economy.
Environmental and Economic Impact
Project: Capriole isn’t just about managing waste—it’s about creating a sustainable business model that benefits the environment and the economy. By turning coffee waste into valuable products, the project reduces landfill contributions and carbon emissions. It also offers roasters a chance to engage in sustainable practices without overhauling their operations. The potential for scaling across countries means the positive impact could grow exponentially, making a real difference in global sustainability efforts.
Project: Capriole and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – promoting circular economy principles by reusing coffee waste.
- SDG 13: Climate Action – reducing carbon footprint through waste valorization and lowering landfill emissions.
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – producing briquettes as a sustainable heating fuel alternative.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – collaborating with coffee roasters and stakeholders across countries.
- SDG 15: Life on Land – minimizing waste impact on landfills and promoting soil management solutions.
About Project: Capriole
Based in Luxembourg, Project: Capriole is all about feasibility and scaling possibilities when it comes to coffee waste. The team has tackled one of the main hurdles in eco-friendly products: changing consumer behavior. By designing a system that fits seamlessly into existing coffee roasters’ operations and consumer habits, Capriole has come a long way in solving that puzzle. All rights reserved by Capriole Luxembourg. For image reuse or more information, contact marko.klacar (at) capriole (dot) lu.
