Critical Need
The world is facing a plastic pollution crisis and an urgent need for sustainable packaging alternatives. At the same time, millions of tons of food industry byproducts—like spent coffee grounds—go to waste each year. There is a growing demand for materials that are not only eco-friendly but also functional and affordable. Existing bioplastics often fall short in terms of performance, or they cost too much to scale. Unspent addresses this critical gap by offering a solution that transforms coffee waste into a viable, high-performance alternative to conventional plastics.

Technology Vision
Unspent transforms spent coffee grounds into a renewable bio-based ingredient that boosts the performance of bioplastics and other polymers. It enhances barrier properties, mechanical strength, and processibility in materials like natural rubber and polyhydroxyalkanoates, a type of biodegradable polyester, making it ideal for packaging and other high-performance applications such as bio-based leather, paint, and waterproof coatings. Non-toxic, cost-effective, and entirely plant-based, it offers a sustainable alternative to fossil-fuel–derived plastics. Unspent also shares revenue with coffee producers, creating new value from waste and supporting a circular economy. By bridging sustainability and performance, Unspent enables industries to adopt eco-friendly materials without compromising on quality.

Potential for Impact
At scale, Unspent’s technology could significantly reduce plastic waste, lower carbon emissions, and create a new value stream for the coffee industry. Imagine a world where packaging is made from yesterday’s coffee instead of fossil fuels—products that decompose, not pollute. In this future, food producers, brands, and consumers all play a role in closing the loop. By turning waste into a resource, Unspent’s innovation could reshape the plastics industry, drive circular economy adoption, and help build a more sustainable, waste-free future.

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Unspent