Researchers from RMIT University have received the Problem Solver People’s Choice at the Universities Australia’s Shaping Australia Awards for their coffee concrete, which can turn waste coffee grounds into building materials.
Australia generates around 75,000 tonnes of ground coffee waste annually, contributing to the 6.87 million tonnes of organic waste in landfills, which account for 3 per cent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.
Dr Rajeev Roychand, Professor Jie Li, Associate Professor Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch, Dr Mohammad Saberian, Professor Guomin (Kevin) Zhang, and Professor Chun Qing Li’s innovation strengthens concrete by 30 per cent using biochar made from spent coffee grounds, reducing waste going to landfill. The coffee biochar can then replace a portion of the sand that is used to make concrete.
Indigenous-owned coffee supplier, Talwali Coffee Roasters, provided used ground coffee for the research.
Within a year, the team progressed from the lab to real-world applications with industry and government partners, including a world-first footpath trial in Gisborne. The coffee concrete is also being used in Victoria's Big Build projects, and is displayed in Germany's Futurium museum as an innovative material for a sustainable future.
Global sand demand is projected to rise by 45 per cent over the next four decades, so this innovation comes at a crucial time for construction resource management.
Roychand and Li received the Problem Solver 2024 People’s Choice Winner award last night (25 February) on behalf of the team at Parliament House in Canberra.
“Winning this national award is outstanding recognition of our vision to transform waste materials into valuable construction resources,” said Roychand.
“What began as research into coffee grounds has now evolved into a comprehensive program converting various types of organic waste into biochar that could help reshape the environmental footprint of the built environment.”
Following the success, the team has expanded its collaboration with industry leaders both locally and internationally. RMIT's partnership with Ambiolock in Australia and C-Green in Sweden emerged as a key step in advancing high durability, low-carbon biochar-based materials for sustainable construction.
Through these partnerships, the team’s research continues to expand its global impact, demonstrating how innovative waste-to-resource solutions can be integrated into mainstream infrastructure and construction practices worldwide.
RMIT is also engaged with a commercialisation partner, in the process of building the business case with key stakeholders and supply chain partners in the construction and agriculture sectors that would potentially benefit from using biochar products.
The team stated it was grateful for the support from partners BildGroup, Major Road Projects Victoria, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Arup, Earth Systems, Reground and Talwali Coffee Roasters.
