GUEST COLUMN:
Dr Rosie Oretti
Founder & Director
Grounds for Good Ltd
The idea for Grounds for Good was born in the back room of a coffee shop, where I was volunteering not long after retiring from the NHS. I asked, somewhat out of curiosity, what happened to all the coffee waste. The answer – that most of it went to landfill – sparked what has become a growing business focused entirely on the reuse of spent coffee grounds.
From the outset, the goal has been simple: to find value in something that is widely discarded. That has meant looking at coffee grounds not as waste but as a resource – one that still contains flavour, aroma, texture and useful physical properties. Innovation, in this case, has not meant inventing something entirely new, but applying scientific thinking and creativity to a problem that’s hiding in plain sight.
The UK drinks around 98 million cups of coffee a day. That generates hundreds of thousands of tonnes of coffee grounds annually, much of which ends up in landfill. When that organic matter breaks down, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide. For something that has already been grown, processed and shipped across the world, that final destination seems an unnecessary waste.
My background in medicine and research has been a real advantage in shaping what Grounds for Good has become. We extract what we can from the grounds and use them to create a range of products – from personal care to homeware, from food to spirits. Some of our creations – infused chocolates, naturally scented candles, even upcycled eye pillows – may surprise people. But the key principle remains: nothing is wasted, and everything is done with intention.
We’ve also developed a closed-loop collection system here in South Wales, working with local distributors already on the road. This means we can collect coffee waste without increasing emissions, and what we don’t use ourselves goes to anaerobic digestion, creating biofertiliser and energy for the national grid. It’s not perfect – but it’s a practical, local step towards a circular economy.
Alongside the practicalities of collection and production, one of the biggest lessons has been around consumer behaviour. There is interest in sustainability, but there is also hesitation. Words like “waste” still carry a stigma – so a lot of our effort goes into reframing what that word means, through the design, branding and quality of our products. Upcycled materials can be part of high-end, desirable goods. But it takes a certain type of storytelling – and no small amount of persistence.
We’re currently collaborating with researchers to develop new uses for coffee waste, from biochar to carbon capture. And we’re working to expand our coffee collection network, so that more cafés and businesses can be sure their grounds are not going to landfill. Wales has the potential to lead in this space, particularly with the strong sustainability framework provided by the Well-being of Future Generations Act. But support for innovation – particularly from small businesses – will be key.
Collaboration is at the heart of the circular economy. One business’s waste might be another’s raw material. That’s where opportunities lie – not just in individual innovation, but in making connections, sharing ideas, and being open to doing things differently.
We may be small, but we hope Grounds for Good is proof that something as everyday as a cup of coffee can be the start of something much bigger.
