That “double shot” of espresso you have every morning may soon have a new meaning.
Researchers at England's University of Bath have developed a method to turn used coffee grounds in to biodiesel, paving the way for you to make a run to Starbucks powered by the leftovers from the latte you drank the day before.
The scientists found that by soaking the grounds in an organic solvent oils, could be extracted from them, with 22 pounds producing over a half-gallon of fuel.
It’s not the first time that waste coffee has been turned into diesel, but the study looked at 20 different types of coffee from around the world, in both caffeinated and decaffeinated forms, and found that the source made little difference to the composition of the final product.
The same method could be used with fresh beans wasted during the coffee production process.
The researchers say about 8 million tons of used grounds are produced by coffee shops each year, and 20 percent of that is comprised of oils.
According to the study’s results, if every Starbucks in the United States recycled its waste this way, the company could produce more than 5000 gallons of biodiesel per day.
Fill ‘er up…with a venti?
Just remember to skip the whipped cream.