| Abstract |
There is a need for eco-social business models in the food waste sector that are more cascading and circularbased, while having economic, environmental and social benefits. The aim of this study is to bring insights and data of spent coffee grounds large-scale slow pyrolysis, to seize new opportunities for eco-innovative solutions in the circular economy, by identifying upcyding opportunities for resource recovery of this waste. First, an experimental study was conducted, and a set of pyrolysis experiments were carried out at a temperature range from 450 to 750 degrees C, with a heating rate of 50 degrees/s, under helium atmosphere, to explore the products' yields and the best process' conditions. Second, an economic study was conducted for a standalone pyrolysis plant fueled with the spent coffee grounds streams from coffee shops of a city with 150,000 inhabitants, in central Greece, aiming at the cost and the profitability of the endeavor estimation. The calculations were based on the features of a slow pyrolysis rotary kiln technology designed at Aristotle University, and co-developed with an Irish company, under the funding of an EU LIFE+ project. For an estimated capacity of 2566 t/yr of SCG, the revenue of the endeavor was calculated at 47(sic)/t of SCG. The economic indicators ROI and POT (ROI = 024, POT = 2.6), are very positive, suggesting pyrolysis of SCG as an efficient circular economy management solution, providing an ecosocial innovation business in the coflee shop industry, engaging also consumers in the circular economy. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |