A small number of cows in Japan are now noshing on feed made with used Starbucks coffee grounds. The unexpected maker of the product: Menicon, a local contact lens company in Nagoya.
For nearly 20 years, Starbucks has been giving away used coffee grounds to customers for free to use in compost for their gardens. But finding uses for them in industry would be more effective for a company that buys 400 million pounds of coffee globally each year.
“We often work with stakeholders, including researchers, municipalities, and our own supply chain, to find viable solutions that work for a business our size,” said Starbucks spokeswoman Alisha Damodaran in an e-mail. While Starbucks can send grounds from its stores to municipal composting in some markets, such as Seattle, not every city offers this service. The company says it is not selling the used grounds at the moment, donating them instead to researchers.
Business Week
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