In 2020, a few unexpected items became the hardest to find due to the pandemic. Facing a shortage of toilet paper, bleach, and hand sanitizer, the prices for everyday items skyrocketed. It’s unfortunate to see how quickly these products were swiped up, but not too surprising.
One of the only ways to counteract the rush of panic buying is by offering new solutions. That’s exactly what an innovative study performed by two professors at Jacobs University Bremen in Germany; chemistry professor Nikolai Kuhnert and microbiology professor Matthias Ullrich aim to create.
Oh, and they’re using coffee waste to do it.
Sanitizer Made From Coffee Waste
Our coffee blog has been on a roll lately talking all about the health benefits of coffee, and there’s no shortage of studies to stop now. Due to COVID-19, the projects that have come about have shown just how creative humans get with products on-hand. Last week we dove into the first face mask made of coffee, which has sparked ideas throughout the industry. I mean, what’s better than a whiff of coffee while staying protecting?
Today’s byproduct of coffee is another one born from the darkness of quarantine. German professors Kuhnert and Ullrich have teamed up to create a “more effective… and more widely applicable” sanitizer to eliminate pesky germs. This is a massive step for companies struggling to keep up with demand.
By using natural ingredients, this sanitizer checks all the boxes for an eco-friendly solution. Because of this, a brand new sanitizer made from coffee waste is ideal for spraying down airports or other means of transportation.
Science Behind the Bean
Kuhnert and Ullrich will be utilizing chaff to create the first hand sanitizer made from coffee. Chaff is essentially the barrier around a coffee seed, which otherwise is discarded as waste. The coffee bean’s skin is said to contain antiviral and antibacterial properties, which is paving the way for this fascinating discovery.
The pandemic is seemingly here to stay, so it’s time to adopt. Now the real question remains, what CAN’T coffee do?
