Science confirms that higher elevations do make for better coffee. Plus, researchers are finding more uses for coffee waste, a union win for Anodyne workers, and a review of pretty much all the research confirms that, yes, coffee is good for you.
‘Spent Coffee Used in New Carbon-Capture Technology’ – via Global Coffee Report
Coffee creates a lot of waste. Just this week, Fresh Cup published a piece about cascara, the fruit of the coffee seed: only 1-5% of the coffee cherry actually becomes the beverage you drink. The rest goes to waste.
Figuring out what to do with it all—from spent coffee grounds to takeaway cups—is an ongoing process. We’ve looked at coffee waste in depth at Fresh Cup, and this newsletter has brought you updates on many recent projects, such as using grounds to make biofuels or stronger concrete.
Now, researchers from the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates have patented a new technology that uses ground coffee and plastic waste to capture carbon dioxide from industrial emissions.
“What begins with a Starbucks coffee cup and a discarded plastic water bottle can become a powerful tool in the fight against climate change through the production of activated carbon,” Dr. Haif Aljomard, lead inventor of the new technology, said in a press release.
Activated carbon is a porous material that can be used to filter contaminants from air or water—it is one of the main components of a Brita water filter, for example.
To produce it, Aljomard and colleagues combine spent coffee grounds and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic used in packaging, with potassium hydroxide, an alkaline chemical widely used in manufacturing fertilizers, soap, and batteries. These substances then undergo co-pyrolysis, a controlled heating process at temperatures of 600°C, to create the activated carbon.
“This invention repurposes two abundant waste streams—coffee and plastic—into a high-performance adsorbent,” Aljomard said. “The resulting activated carbon shows strong potential for capturing CO₂ from fossil fuel-based energy systems, contributing to the reduction of air pollution.”
The researchers suggest their technology could be used in a wide range of industrial operations, from water and air treatment to capturing CO₂ during natural gas production. It also offers a new use for coffee and plastic waste.
“This invention exemplifies circular economy principles by integrating waste streams for dual valorization and upcycling into valuable products,” said co-inventor Professor Chaouki Ghenai. “Through carbonization and chemical activation, we eliminate the need to landfill these materials, protecting the environment from their harmful effects.”
Read more on coffee’s carbon capture capabilities here.
‘Study Adds Merit to High-Elevation Coffee Quality Claims’ – via Daily Coffee News
One of the “facts” about coffee is that plants grown at higher elevations will be of higher quality than those grown at lower elevations. But is that actually true, or just a widely-circulated claim within the coffee industry?
The theory goes that, at higher elevations, coffee cherries mature more slowly because of cooler temperatures. Slowing down the ripening phase is said to create more complex sugars and organic acids, which leads to better-tasting coffee.
The science backs up this claim. One study found that higher altitudes are associated with “coffees containing higher acidity and better aroma characteristics.” Another found that chlorogenic acid and fatty acids, compounds associated with coffee flavor and aroma, increased along with altitude.
New research from Poland adds to these findings, reports Nick Brown for Daily Coffee News. Published in Scientific Reports, the study analyzed the chemical compounds and sensory properties of four coffees of the Typica variety from Ethiopia (grown at 2,065 meters above sea level), Guatemala (1,650 masl), Peru (1,600 masl), and Costa Rica (1,540 masl).
Using an electronic nose—a sensing device used to detect aromas and flavors—the researchers found that the Ethiopian coffee had the “most intense” aroma strength. This, the authors wrote, “indicates high aromatic potential and diversity of the aroma of the Ethiopian Sidamo coffee, compared to the other coffee types.”
Additionally, the study examined the phenolic content of the coffees. Polyphenols, such as chlorogenic acid, have antioxidant properties and are considered part of the reason for coffee’s health benefits. Once again, the Ethiopian coffee had the most phenolic compounds.
The authors note that factors other than altitude may have played a role in the coffee’s phenolic content, such as processing or the impact of shade trees. Nevertheless, they write, “a significant positive correlation was found between the increasing altitude and the total phenolic content.”
Read the full story on the elevated findings here.
More News
‘Celebrating 5 Years, Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity Launches Fellowship’ – via Daily Coffee News
‘Colombia Has Best Coffee Harvest in Decades, Warns of Lower 2025/26 Crop’ – via Reuters
‘Kerry Town That Banned Disposable Coffee Cups Sees Project Falter Amid Government U-Turn’ – via the Irish Times
‘Pedro and Paco Gaviña of Family-Owned Gaviña Coffee Die at 80 and 81’ – via Daily Coffee News
The Week in Coffee Unionizing
Workers at Anodyne Coffee in Milwaukee won their union election in June, but the company’s owner, Fairwave Holdings, challenged the results. This week, the National Labor Relations Board rejected that challenge.
In April, workers at Anodyne filed to unionize with the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH). Barista Sabrina Prochaska told Urban Milwaukee at the time that workers were organizing for better wages and more communication between employees and management.
The majority of workers in the proposed bargaining unit signed authorization cards. MASH sent a letter to Anodyne’s owner, the private equity-backed Fairwave Holdings, requesting voluntary recognition.
Fairwave, which bought Anodyne in 2023, has acquired a string of specialty coffee companies across the Midwest and beyond over the past few years. In response to the letter, the company chose not to recognize the union. In June, every eligible voter voted yes to the union, but Fairwave challenged the vote, alleging that organizers “intimidated” employees to vote yes, among other claims.
The NLRB dismissed the company’s objections “in their entirety,” reports Ricardo Torres for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The board’s decision, Torres writes, “effectively certifies the bargaining unit of employees ahead of a potential first contract.”
Fairwave declined to comment on the outcome of the ruling.
“After months of bureaucratic delays and weaponization of administrative and legal processes driven by an unmistakable intent to undermine the rights of Anodyne workers, it’s time for the company to join us at the bargaining table so we can negotiate a contract,” MASH president Peter Rickman said in a statement.
Is Coffee Good For You?
Yet more positive news for coffee drinkers: a wide-ranging review of decades worth of research finds that moderate coffee consumption is, all things considered, pretty good for you.
No really, that’s almost exactly what the study authors say in their summary: “Overall, the consensus is that moderate coffee intake is more beneficial than harmful across a wide range of health outcomes,” write co-authors Ryan C. Emadi from West Virginia University and Farin Kamangar from Morgan State University.
The review, published in the journal Nutrients, looked at dozens of studies from across the world, collectively involving millions of participants. It found that moderate coffee consumption, typically between three and five cups per day, “is associated with reduced overall mortality and lower risk of major diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke, respiratory conditions, cognitive decline, and potentially several types of cancer, including liver and uterine cancers.”
The findings held for both caffeinated and decaf coffees. The review found no link between coffee consumption and increased incidents of cancer, hypertension, or arrhythmia.
The authors advise caution for those who are pregnant, suffer from sleep disturbances, and struggle with anxiety. For people who are pregnant, they recommend that daily consumption “be limited to lower amounts, such that the daily intake of caffeine does not exceed 200 mg/day.”
Otherwise, they conclude that “coffee, when consumed in moderation and tailored to individual tolerance, appears to be a health-promoting beverage.” We’ll drink to that.
Beyond the Headlines
‘Is India Set To Be the World’s Next Top Coffee Producer?’ by Kathryn Lewis
‘Hell Hath No Fury Like a Coffee Drinker in 2025’ by Rachel Louise Ensign
‘Inside The Buzzy World Of Coffee Shop DJ Sets’ by Antonia Petaccio
