Chisinau, 30 July 2022 (TDI): The Tucano coffee and EcoBean companies in Moldova and Poland respectively signed an agreement. The agreement is to cooperate in the area of recycling coffee waste.
☕What can we do with leftover coffee? @TucanoCoffee of Moldova & EcoBean of Poland partner to upcycle spent coffee grounds.
“We’d be glad to recycle the coffee waste, maybe create something that will go back, like coffee cups or lids.” – Ruslan Cojocaru https://t.co/yIJGo8yNCL pic.twitter.com/aFRpxsOO0H— UNDP Moldova (@UNDPMoldova) July 30, 2022
The EcoBean Company
EcoBean is a technology company based in Poland. It aims at reducing coffee waste. EcoBean was established as the spin-off from the Warsaw University of Technology.
The company started its project “Sustainability, now a Priority” within which it is cooperating with international brands to renew Spent Coffee Grounds.
The aim of the project is to start a loop of recycling used coffee grounds. It will help in making different products.
Tucano coffee
Tucano Coffee is an international network of coffee shops with a focus on corporate social responsibility. The first coffee shop of Tucano coffee was started in 2011 in the Republic of Moldova.
Background of Cooperation Deal
It has become a fact that every year 2700 tons of coffee waste is generated in Moldova. About 2000 to 3000 kg of coffee waste is thrown out only in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova, every month.
It has increased greenhouse gas emissions and is a big pollution source for Earth. To change this, UNDP along with EcoBean have developed cooperation with a local coffee chain in Moldova, Tucano Coffee. With this, a proper process would be taken up to recycle.
Working on the Cooperation Deal
With this deal, the Polish company would study the complete process of collection of coffee waste in Moldova. For this, it will launch “Feasibility Study on Closing the Coffee Circulation in Moldova”.
Aside from coffee waste knowledge, the company would also study the possibility of cooperating with local partners. This is so to effectively develop and implement a method of coffee grounds utilization.
The funding for this project comes from the Polish Challenge Fund aided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
The Polish Challenge Fund has supported as many as 21 initiatives related to ideas like environmental chatbots, air quality monitoring, and bees keeping technology in Moldova. Besides Moldova, similar initiatives were started in Ukraine and Belarus in 2020.
The cooperation deal between EcoBean and Tucano coffee will help address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Climate Action, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Remarks from CEOs of both Companies
In an interview with UNDP Innovation Specialist, Eva Lacinová the CEOs of both companies expressed their thoughts on the cooperation.
The CEO of Tucano Coffee, Ruslan Cojocaru, said that he was aware that the coffee waste being thrown out of his company was hazardous for everyone.
He described that he always wanted to find a solution to deal with this waste which the UNDP and EcoBean have provided him with.
Furthermore, he said that not only will this help in dealing with the coffee waste but would also help spread awareness of this bio-waste to others.
He also added that this cooperation would help them complete their social responsibility to take care of the environment and the earth.
The CEO of EcoBean, Marcin Kozlowski explained that the company wanted to address the coffee waste issue in Moldova as it has done with other partners.
He also explained that they would process coffee grounds into raw materials and eco-products to reduce the carbon footprint.
Furthermore, Marcin explained that they’re aiming for the successful implementation of ecological alternatives in the coffee value chain. He said it will help reduce CO2 footprint at least by 20%.
