What is Chaff?
Chaff (also sometimes called the silverskin) is the husk of raw coffee beans. This “skin” falls off during the roasting process because of the heat that is applied to the beans. It is very light and fluffy, and oftentimes ends up…well…everywhere. While roasting, most of it is collected in a chaff bin to be disposed of, usually ending up in a landfill. This lead to the question: can chaff be reused or upcycled?
While chaff has an unpleasant taste and you don’t want to drink it with your coffee, there are multiple ways you can utilize chaff, with more unique innovations are currently in development. Here are some ways you can upcycle chaff:
In Your Garden
Chaff is rich in nitrogen, an element that helps plants take in nutrients and water. It also can help deter some common garden pests & diseases. Mix it in with your soil to enrich your soil and naturally repel pests!
Compost
Chaff is light, dry, and degrades quickly - making it a great option for using it in your composting mulch!
Bedding for Chickens or Other Domestic Pets
Please note that chaff is very flammable, so always be careful when using alternative methods! Check out this blog about using coffee chaff as bedding for chickens.
Other Unique Innovations
Companies are coming up with new ways to repurpose chaff. Check out these articles about repurposing chaff for car parts, or transforming chaff into bricks for fuel!
What are some other things that have traditionally been considered pure waste that can be repurposed and given new life?
