Unspent develops COPOXEE, a plasticizer derived from spent coffee grounds to enhance biomaterials for packaging applications. This additive improves the oxygen and water resistance, flexibility, and mechanical strength of bioplastics. The company provides a non-toxic, scalable, and performance-driven alternative for the sustainable materials industry.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
The global coffee industry generates millions of tons of spent coffee grounds annually, with a significant portion ending up in landfills. This waste stream contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and represents a missed opportunity for material valorization.
Solution
Unspent addresses this challenge by transforming industrial coffee waste into COPOXEE™, a bio-based coffee oil plasticizer. This proprietary process extracts valuable coffee oil from spent grounds, which is then epoxidized to create a high-performance additive for bioplastics. COPOXEE™ enhances the properties of bioplastics, offering a sustainable and renewable alternative to petroleum-based plasticizers. By establishing spent coffee grounds as a viable feedstock, Unspent contributes to a more circular economy within the materials sector.
Target Audience
Unspent targets bioplastics manufacturers and formulators seeking sustainable, high-performance additives to enhance their product portfolios.
Features
- Proprietary process for extracting coffee oil from spent coffee grounds.
- Chemical epoxidation of coffee oil to produce COPOXEE™, a bio-based plasticizer.
- COPOXEE™ is designed to improve the performance characteristics of bioplastics.
- Utilizes a waste stream from the second most traded commodity globally.
- Patents pending on the core technology for material conversion.