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CommonConfusables t1_iuwxyeo wrote

Reply to comment by FlaminCat in Researchers fed microalgae on leftover coffee grounds to produce high-quality biodiesel | It could decrease reliance on palm oil to produce biofuel. by chrisdh79

So you still need to grow coffee for that, and divert the waste somehow.

But also not all coffee waste will be usable.

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jamanimals t1_iux78ar wrote

Not to mention, if it's valuable enough, there will probably be coffee production specifically to produce biodiesel that never gets made into consumer coffee. Similar to the vast amount of corn grown strictly for ethanol production.

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I_am_Erk t1_iuxggha wrote

I suspect coffee was chosen because there are a lot of wasted coffee grounds. There likely isn't anything specifically about coffee that is needed here, you could probably use any number of similar substrates that are cheaper to grow

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jamanimals t1_iuxgy27 wrote

Oh, I agree, but even corn for ethanol was only supposed to be using waste products and not corn grown for ethanol, but once you give the industry an inch to grab onto, they'll take all they can get.

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I_am_Erk t1_iuxhknh wrote

Very true. The issue there isn't the tech, it's the economic system....

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