Sustainable Production of Coffee Husk Pellets: Applying Circular Economy in Waste Management and Renewable Energy Production

Angélica de Cassia Oliveira Carneiro, Antonio José Vinha Zanuncio (), Amélia Guimarães Carvalho, Júlia Almeida Cunha Guimarães Jorge, Raquel Julia Cipriano dos Santos, Iara Fontes Demuner, Letícia Costa Peres, Shoraia Germani Winter, Vinícius Resende de Castro, Monique Branco-Vieira and Solange de Oliveira Araújo
Additional contact information
Angélica de Cassia Oliveira Carneiro: Forest Sciences Department, UFV—Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, Viçosa 36571-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Antonio José Vinha Zanuncio: Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Goiás Street, 2000, Vila Nova, Monte Carmelo 38500-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Amélia Guimarães Carvalho: Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Goiás Street, 2000, Vila Nova, Monte Carmelo 38500-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Júlia Almeida Cunha Guimarães Jorge: Forest Sciences Department, UFV—Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, Viçosa 36571-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Raquel Julia Cipriano dos Santos: Forest Sciences Department, UFV—Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, Viçosa 36571-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Iara Fontes Demuner: Forest Sciences Department, UFV—Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, Viçosa 36571-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Letícia Costa Peres: Forest Sciences Department, UFV—Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, Viçosa 36571-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Shoraia Germani Winter: Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Goiás Street, 2000, Vila Nova, Monte Carmelo 38500-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Vinícius Resende de Castro: Forest Sciences Department, UFV—Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, Viçosa 36571-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Monique Branco-Vieira: Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)—Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Strategies and Technology Assessment, Stahnsdorfer Damm 81, 14532 Kleinmachnow, Germany
Solange de Oliveira Araújo: Forest Research Centre (CEF), Associate Laboratory for Sustainable Land Use and Ecosystem Services (TERRA), School of Agriculture (ISA), University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal

Resources, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: Improper waste disposal is one of the leading causes of environmental pollution, impacting soil, water, and air quality. In coffee plantations, each kilogram of beans produced generates an equal amount of husk, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable practices to process this residual biomass into valued products. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of coffee husks for pellet production. Three coffee husk types were selected with distinct chemical compositions and granulometries: I (>5.3 mm), II (>2.6 mm and <5.3 mm), and III (<1.77 mm). The biomass was characterized for elemental, structural, and proximate composition. Pellets were produced with two knife heights (15 and 20 mm) and assessed for moisture content, density, length, and mechanical resistance, which were compared with the EN 14691-6 standard (DIN, 2012). Pelletizer productivity was also evaluated. Pellets from biomass III had an ash content of 12.09%, exceeding the <10% requirement. Other treatments met the ash content standard, category B. Pellets from biomass I (17.55%) and II (18.1%) at 15 mm length did not meet the <15% moisture content standard. The remaining pellets met category B standards. Only pellets from origin III (1.62%) met the nitrogen content requirement for international trade (<2%). Pelletizer productivity was higher with smaller granulometry biomass. Coffee husk has demonstrated its potential for pellet production, highlighting the valorization and use of this waste for clean energy generation, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, and strengthening circular economy.

Keywords: bioenergy; biomass; green economy; recycling; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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