The Problem

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and ranks among the most traded commodities (FAO, 2025). In 2023, an estimated 11 billion kilograms of raw coffee were produced, requiring around 12 million hectares of land (FAO, n.d.), or nearly twice the area of Ireland¹.

During brewing, only 18–22% of coffee’s mass is extracted by water, leaving behind spent coffee grounds (SCGs) as waste (Corrochano et al, 2025). These residues still contain valuable compounds such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, phenolics and caffeine (Sidło and Latosińska, 2024). These components provide useful functional properties, including antioxidant activity, dietary fibre, stimulation of collagen production in the skin, and protection against UV radiation (Sidło and Latosińska, 2024).

Despite this, coffee grounds are a burden for cafes, workplaces and homes across the country. If sent to landfill, every tonne of coffee grounds would produce 525 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions (Schmidt Rivera et al., 2025). Coffee grounds are a food waste, and therefore, Irish businesses are required under the Waste Management (Food Waste)(Amendment) Regulations 2024 to segregate coffee grounds from other waste streams. This waste is typically composted or anaerobically digested (EPA, n.d.). Composting one tonne of spent coffee grounds produces approximately 30.7 kg of CO₂ emissions, whereas processing the same amount through anaerobic digestion can avoid about 6.2 kg of CO₂ by capturing gases that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere and by substituting fossil-derived gas. (Schmidt Rivera et al., 2025). However, both of these solutions still treat the material as waste. Under the 10 R-strategies framework for the circular economy, which sets out different ways to reduce waste and keep materials in use for longer, using spent coffee grounds for new products is considered a more circular option than simply treating them as waste. This is because it extends the life of the material, reduces the need for virgin resources, and can lower greenhouse gas emissions compared with disposal.

Coffee grounds are segregated at source, providing a clean and consistent feedstock that can be redirected into new value chains. Spent grounds have been used to produce reusable coffee cups, insulation for buildings, stronger concrete, and even alcohol. Moreover, individual components such as caffeine, coffee oil, chlorogenic acid, and phenolics can be extracted for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels (Sidło and Latosińska, 2024).

Despite these efforts, spent coffee grounds remain an underutilised resource with significant potential for higher value uses. Unlocking this potential calls for solutions that transform this abundant “waste” into circular products.

The Circular Solution

Bean Around produces exfoliating soap made from used coffee grounds collected from local cafés and workplaces. It was founded by sisters Sadhbh and Aisling Wood, after Sadhbh used their father’s home psoriasis remedy of used coffee grounds to remove fake tan (Bean Around, n.d.). They have since expanded nationwide, demonstrating how everyday waste can be transformed into value-added consumer products.

Coffee grounds serve as a natural exfoliant, replacing synthetic or resource-intensive materials such as plastic microbeads (which were banned in 2019), sugar, or salt. By incorporating this by-product into skincare formulations, Bean Around valorises a waste material while reducing the need for virgin ingredients. Many of their soaps are sold in the same cafés that supply the grounds, creating a local closed loop (SustainabilityOnline, 2025). The packaging is made from recycled and recyclable materials, further enhancing the company’s circular model.

To secure a supply of coffee grounds, Bean Around partners with both large corporate clients, including Google Ireland, KPMG, and EY, and independent coffee shops in Dún Laoghaire and nearby areas. This localised collection network minimises transport emissions and ensures access to fresh coffee grounds.

Bringing a cosmetic product to market requires a Cosmetic Product Safety Assessment. This involves strict checks to prevent contamination and bacterial growth. Several laboratories refused to even test Bean Around’s products because they contained waste-derived ingredients. Eventually, they found a suitable testing partner, and the products passed all safety standards. This shows a wider problem. Products made from recycled or waste materials often face additional soft barriers (non-regulatory obstacles), even when they meet all required safety standards.

Through collaborations with national retailers such as Lidl, SuperValu, and Java Republic, Bean Around achieved a 300% increase in sales in 2024 (Business Post, 2025). This success reflects growing consumer demand for clean and sustainable beauty products, particularly among young people (Statistica, 2025).

While Bean Around demonstrates how circular innovation can succeed, the use of waste-derived materials in cosmetics also faces regulatory and practical hurdles. Addressing these challenges will be essential for scaling such models across the wider beauty industry.

Bean Around's founders featured on RTÉ News, discussing their sustainable, coffee-ground skincare business.

Climate Impact

To date, Bean Around has repurposed more than 1,000 kilograms of spent coffee grounds into high-value skincare products. By valorising this material rather than sending it to compost or landfill, the company transforms a common waste into a source of economic and environmental value. If the same quantity were landfilled, it would generate over 525 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent emission (Schmidt Rivera et al., 2025). That is comparable to driving 4,600 kilometres², or driving from Cork to Belfast and back five times³.

Replicability

• UpCircle is a circular skincare company that makes face and body scrubs from upcycled coffee grounds, as well as other upcycled ingredients from the food industry.

  
  

• Frank Body is an Australian company that produces coffee-based exfoliating scrubs, although they don’t claim to be made from used coffee.

  
  

• Ecobean produces a range of chemicals extracted from spent coffee, including coffee oil, antioxidants, and protein additives for industrial and consumer applications

  
  

• Kaffe Bueno is a Danish biotech company that extracts products from spent coffee grounds for human nutrition, personal care, and agrochemical industries. See the CIRCULÉIRE case study on Kaffe Bueno here.

Footnotes

1. The land area of the Republic of Ireland is 6.9 million hectares. 12 million hectares is 1.77 times the area of Ireland.

   
   

2. Based on 0.114 kg CO2e emissions per kilometre (SEAI, n.d.)

   
   

3. Based on the return trip from Cork to Belfast being equal to 830km.