Climate change and the overconsumption of plastics are threats to the environment and future generations. Every year, roughly 250,000 tons of wet waste coffee grounds are thrown into landfills, where they decompose and release harmful methane into the atmosphere–further amplifying the effects of climate change. With the 3D printing industry growing so rapidly, our solution reuses this coffee waste product by integrating it into plastic production. We accomplished this by integrating dehydrated spent coffee grounds (SCGs) into UV resin as a new 3D printing filament. Through careful experimentation, research, and testing, our team has discovered suitable ratios of SCGs to UV resin that will maximize structural integrity and durability. To test the viability of our products, we utilized an INSTRON machine which gathered data to help us analyze the tensile strength of our prints.

Full Poster: Integration of Spent Coffee Grounds with 3D Printing Resin

Follow the QR code for more information!