sustainability
Article The CirCo (Circular Coffee) Project: A Case Study on Valorization of Coffee Silverskin in the Context of Circular Economy in Italy
Emily Overturf 1 , Simon Pezzutto 2, * , Martina Boschiero 2, * ,† , Nicoletta Ravasio 3 and Achille Monegato 4
1 School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephaner Steig, 2285354 Freising, Germany; emily.overturf@tum.de 2 Institute for Renewable Energy, European Academy of Bolzano (EURAC Research), Viale Druso 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy 3 CNR-SCITEC, via C. Golgi 19, 20133 Milan, Italy; nicoletta.ravasio@scitec.cnr.it 4 FAVINI srl, via Alcide De Gasperi 26, 36028 Rossano Veneto, Italy; Achille.Monegato@favini.com * Correspondence: simon.pezzutto@eurac.edu (S.P.); martinaboschierob@gmail.com (M.B.) † Former collaborator of EURAC Research. Abstract: Coffee silverskin (CSS) is one of the main byproducts of coffee roasting and poses a potential risk to the environment if disposed of incorrectly. Each year in Italy, over 500,000 tonnes of green coffee are imported for roasting followed by consumption or export. This results in over 7500 tonnes of CSS produced each year which is typically disposed of as solid waste. Silverskin contains lignocellulose and can be used as a substitute for other raw materials to produce paper pulp. Both Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) were performed to compare the impact and cost of CSS paper production to conventional paper production using only virgin pulp. It was shown that the addition of CSS reduces the environmental impact of paper production by 10% and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 13% compared to conventional production with no cost increase (0.01% reduction with addition of CSS) for the producer. The results of this case study show that the utilization of CSS for paper production at the national level in Italy represents a suitable example of circular economy (CE).
Citation: Overturf, E.; Pezzutto, S.; Boschiero, M.; Ravasio, N.; Monegato, A. The CirCo (Circular Coffee) Project: A Case Study on Valorization of Coffee Silverskin in the Context of Circular Economy in Italy. Sustainability 2021 , 13 , 9069. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169069
Keywords: circular economy; life cycle assessment; life cycle costing; agri-industry residues; energy savings; waste valorization
Academic Editors: Ioannis Arzoumanidis and Alberto Simboli Received: 22 July 2021 Accepted: 11 August 2021 Published: 13 August 2021
1. Introduction In 2018, the EU’s primary energy consumption accounted for approximately 1600 million tons of oil equivalent per year (Mtoe/y), of which a major contribution is provided by heating and cooling applications (around 800 Mtoe/y, which also includes industrial heat), followed by transport and electricity—which account for nearly 520 Mtoe/y and 280 Mtoe/y, respec- tively [1–4]. By 2030, the EU intends to further lower domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55% relative to 1990 levels. Moreover, EU countries have declared the goal of being the first climate neutral continent by 2050 [5,6]. The fulfilment of the Paris COP21 agreement is going to require equal, if not more, reduction of GHG emissions [6]. Circular economy (CE) plays a crucial role in this scenario. Circular economy intends to recover and valorize wastes and residues (from here on referred to as byproducts), adding value to these materials which can be included back into supply chains and mini- mizing the waste creation along the production pathways [7]. Moreover, the CE concept is gaining attention among researchers and institutions since it has potential to increase the sustainability of production and consumption systems [8]. According to the Euro- pean Parliament, CE could increase the gross domestic product by 0.5% and create about 700,000 new jobs in the EU by 2030 [7]. By tapping into previously unexploited pools of byproducts, a new, valuable resource is available.
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Sustainability 2021 , 13 , 9069. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169069
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
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