Imagine automotive brake pads made with coffee grounds...

No need to imagine it - it's already on the market. A company based in Cambridgeshire, UK, is recycling spent coffee grounds into a bulk, renewable, raw material they call Inficaf, which is now being used in the manufacture of automotive brake pads.

bio-bean upcycles spent coffee grounds collected from UK businesses, from independent coffee shops and nationwide coffee retail chains to office blocks and universities, as well as airports, rail stations and instant coffee manufacturers.

bio-bean has recently partnered with a global automotive components original equipment manufacturer to use Inficaf in both their commercial and light vehicle brake pads. Inficaf provides a lower carbon alternative to conventional friction dust materials.

The material is homogenous, yet versatile in its potential applications. It’s cost competitive and its environmental credentials are outstanding. By diverting spent coffee grounds from other disposal methods and transforming them into Inficaf, bio-bean saves up to 1030kg CO2e per tonne of recycled spent grounds.

As the automotive industry looks to decarbonise, Inficaf is helping lead the way on sustainable innovation; not only in brake pads but a number of other applications including light weighting plastics and manufacture of automotive parts in foundry.

Just don’t expect the smell of freshly roasted coffee when you hit the brakes.