Upcircle in London is harnessing discarded coffee grounds to produce exfoliating scrubs, creating economic value from waste.
Every day, employees of Upcircle, a cosmetics company, cycle to 25 beverage shops across London to collect around 100kg of coffee grounds, which would otherwise be thrown away.
Upcircle staff collecting coffee grounds at a beverage shop in London. (Photo: AFP)
Founded six years ago by siblings Will Brightman and Anna Brightman, Upcircle transforms coffee waste into valuable products by mixing it with various natural extracts to create exfoliating scrubs.
“Will was always curious about what happened to the coffee grounds at the beverage shops he visited and was shocked to learn that shop owners had to pay extra to dispose of them in a landfill,” Anna shared about the inspiration behind the founding of Upcircle.
A type of exfoliating scrub made from coffee grounds by Upcircle. (Photo: Upcircle)
The production process for Upcircle’s exfoliating scrubs is quite simple: coffee grounds are mixed with sugar and essential oils, then whipped together with shea butter and natural preservatives. The final product is poured into glass jars and sold in the market.
Anna noted that approximately 3,000 jars of Upcircle’s exfoliating scrub are distributed across the UK each week. The demand is rapidly increasing, leading to a greater hunt for coffee grounds.
“Used coffee works as a better skincare ingredient than dry coffee. It has been heated, moistened, and has increased antioxidant levels, making it more suitable for skincare products compared to regular ground coffee,” added Barbara Scott-Atkinson, a product maker for Upcircle.
Used coffee grounds are more suitable for making exfoliating scrubs than dry ground coffee. (Photo: AFP)
In response to the depletion of the planet’s resources, entrepreneurs and designers are discovering new ways to create value from waste.
The growing interest in recycling food waste has led Upcircle to compete with other natural cosmetics brands, such as Wildefruit from the UK, Frank Body from Australia, and even the well-known British brand Body Shop.
