During the Week without Waste, we analyze the industrial waste at our office every day. The fourth waste lab took place yesterday, in which we paid attention to the amount of coffee grounds. We saw that coffee grounds are one of our major waste streams. To tackle this problem, we came up with the following solution: growing oyster mushrooms.
Grow oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) are one of the most popular edible mushrooms and have the unique ability to thrive on a nutrient medium of coffee grounds. By mixing coffee grounds with other organic materials such as straw or wood chips, we can create an ideal breeding ground for oyster mushrooms. The mycelium of the oyster mushroom colony feeds on the nutrients in the coffee grounds, converting the waste into a valuable and tasty source of protein and fiber.
By turning coffee grounds into oyster mushrooms, we use thesse valuable nutricients directly, instead of composting it. This contributes to the reduction of environmental impact and helps to conserve precious natural resources.
Tips or ideas?
Do you have any tips or ideas for preventing waste streams? Let us know! We would like to hear what you are doing to reduce food waste or avoid packaging waste, for example. We will include your suggestions in our next blogs, in which we discuss solutions for various waste streams.
