Coffee by-products for more sustainable animal feed

The challenge

In the European Union, around 5 kilograms of coffee per person are consumed each year, generating millions of tonnes of waste in the form of spent coffee grounds and used capsules.

At the same time, the livestock sector—one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions—is seeking sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to reduce its environmental footprint without compromising animal health or productivity.

The challenge was to valorise coffee by-products from the HORECA channel as safe and nutritious ingredients for animal feed, within a circular economy model that connects two sectors that have traditionally operated separately.

The solution

AZTI led the development of an efficient logistics and processing chain to collect, treat, and transform spent coffee grounds into a new healthy and sustainable ingredient for dairy livestock (cows and sheep).

The by-product undergoes processing and food safety control steps that ensure its nutritional quality, becoming a more affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional ingredients used in animal feed.

The results

• A new safe, nutritious, and competitive ingredient containing between 10% and 15% recycled coffee grounds.
• Up to a 20% reduction in methane emissions from dairy livestock.
• Direct application of a circular economy model, linking the HORECA sector with sustainable livestock farming.
• Contribution to food waste reduction and the valorisation of urban organic residues.
• Improved profitability and environmental sustainability for livestock farms.