Used coffee grounds are finding more and more applications in our daily activities. First they were found to be a brilliant alternative to crops in the making of biofuel.
Then, coffee grounds featured in a remarkable research that showed that they can be used to capture excess carbon from the atmosphere and thus help in the fight against climate change. And now, the latest, one of the biggest manufacturers of jeans wear, American Eagle, is adding coffee grounds to their latest line of jeans.
What is the added value, you’d ask? Well, after adding approximately 2.25 grams of used coffee grounds to the fabric, it protects from ultraviolet rays and absorbs extra moisture. The jeans do not smell of coffee, as all phenols, oils and esters are removed before the grounds are added. However, it is believed that the jeans can be worn a few extra times before they need to be washed, as coffee grounds are naturally deodorizing.
The jeans come in all sorts of trendy fits and colors, and are actually very affordable considering they are a piece of clothing that protects the environment and reduces pollution. The price for a pair from the latest collections “Denim x Cafe” and “Flex/Cafe” varies between $44.95 and $54.95.
Interestingly, American Eagle is not the first and only company to be incorporating coffee grounds into their fashion products. For example, Marks & Spencer made shoes using coffee grounds (and plastic bottles), Sloggi made underwear, Ministry of Supply added the deodorizing breakfast leftover to the fabric to make socks.
The reason why I’m mentioning all of them is because I believe that to be truly successful, any industry should follow the golden triple R rule- “Reduce, reuse, recycle”. This would be the only way to prevent waste from taking over our entire planet. This is also why any company that makes an effort, either in directly or indirectly, by raising awareness, deserves a thumbs up and a proper acknowledgement.
Image (c) American Eagle
