A circular economy approach to the coffee industry-s waste: the case of delta cafés

Abstract

The work project includes a Case-Study exploring Delta Cafés’ partnership with NÃM, an urban mushroom farm reusing spent coffee grounds as substrate. Being this coffee waste one of the company’s main residues, NÃM’s circular business model arises as a solution for Delta Cafés to revalue and reincorporate it into the economy. This is further discussed in a Teaching Note, particularly debating if Delta Cafés’ decision to invest in NÃM was impact-driven, and emphasizing how vital surpassing logistic challenges was for the partnership. Lastly, an Evaluation Report extends recommendations for Delta Cafés to boost its coffee grounds reusing efforts.