Architectural technologies for life environment: spent coffee ground reuse, a novel way to intend architectural and engineering products?

Abstract

Green architecture is the novel trend in construction that considers innovative materials and solutions to architectural design and engineering build. Then the use of advanced organic materials and renewable energy resources are the new path followed by “bio-designers”. In this context, particularly important are the novel economic and social criteria, often related to ethical issues, whose aim is generating a low environmental impact. In fact, bio-architectural construction contemplates the reuse of industrial bio-wastes to manufacture novel green materials with enhanced performances. The main approach behind a green building is that the whole construction life cycle must be eco-sustainable and environmentally friendly from the beginning to the end of the building process. Spent coffee grounds are an extremely widespread waste product generated from the coffee industry and consumption. Nowadays, their disposal represents an increasing environmental concern as many studies have revealed some coffee grounds toxicity also due to the organic character. With an increasing coffee production for the next years, there is an imperative need to balance this production with a proper utilisation and industrial application of coffee by-products for sustainable products development. This paper reports the potential ways to reuse spent coffee waste for the production of novel construction and building materials as well as architectural products, in the context of circular economy. Construction, in general, is recognised as one of the most polluting and energy consuming industries worldwide, especially in the countries of the third world where the demand for new structures and infrastructure is compelling. This paper presents a literary review of the state of the art of the reuse of spent coffee ground incorporated in novel materials and products. Advantages and drawbacks have been investigated, along with the manufacturing procedures and the novel products characterisation to understand how this solid waste may be valorised and reused.