RMIT University researchers have discovered new ways to reduce the carbon footprint of infrastructure by turning coffee waste into sustainable concrete.
Expanding on a recent experiment, Dr Jingxuan Zhang and Dr Mohammad Saberian measured carbon emissions and environmental impacts from production through to the end of life.
The results show life‑cycle carbon dioxide reductions of 15 per cent, 23 per cent and 26 per cent at five, 10 and 15 per cent biochar replacing sand, along with up to 31 per cent lower use of fossil fuels and improvements in impacts on rivers and lakes.
Zhang said that that the next step is real-world trials.
“We showed that coffee biochar can cut concrete’s carbon footprint in the scenarios we assessed, while earlier trials demonstrated strength gains using the same approach,” he said.
The team said that the research further backs Australia’s shift to a circular economy and net-zero goals by turning waste into functional materials and reducing the reliance on natural sand, whilst also building public engagement with resource recovery.
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Professor Chun-Qing Li, who helped support the research team, said that the innovation turned organic waste into a practical and useable ingredient for lower-carbon infrastructure.
“Using moderate amounts of coffee biochar offers a clear, measurable pathway to lower-impact concrete,” he said.
Saberian said the team continues to communicate with the industry, state, and local governments on construction projects.
“Next steps include larger pilots, mix optimisation, and alignment with standards so projects can adopt this confidently,” he said.
“We welcome collaboration on supply chains and field deployments.”
RMIT and its partners have ramped up their public demonstrations, providing a footpath pilot and the first coffee-biochar concrete section to the Victorian Big Build. This was presented through the National Gallery of Victoria’s ‘Making Good: Redesigning the Everyday’ exhibition.
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