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Coffee to energy - 6th July 2020

A technology company in the UK is making energy from used coffee.

95 million cups of coffee are drunk in the UK every day. The used coffee goes into the ground with other rubbish. There, it slowly breaks down and produces a gas. This gas increases climate change.

UK company Bio-bean was created in 2013. Since then, It has collected and recycled used coffee. Coffee shops, airports and train stations give their used coffee to Bio-bean.

First, the coffee is cleaned, which takes away any plastic or paper. Then it is dried and made into small blocks called pellets. These pellets can be burned to make energy. Some companies use them in factories instead of wood.

When the pellets are burned, they release some dangerous gases. But this is 80% less than throwing the used coffee away.

Most coffee shops are closed at the moment but Bio-bean has continued to work. They are collecting and recycling coffee from more locations. In the future, the company wants to grow. They are planning a new factory in Europe to make new products.