In an effort to help reduce, or at least put to good use, the tons of organic waste that Starbucks produces, the company is supporting researchers in Hong Kong that want to utilize this organic waste for something useful.
The City University of Hong Kong are working on a ‘biorefinery‘ project, which uses fungi that help breakdown carbohydrates into simple sugar. Once this sugar begins to ferment, it becomes a succinic acid. This acid can be used in various products, including: detergents, bio-plastics, and medicines.
Though the company does not yet use this method for its waste, or incorporate it into its silverware products, it is a great start. Also, it is always nice to see a corporation that not only recognizes its carbon footprint, but tries to do something about it.
