# 172. Don’t Throw Away Coffee Grounds; They Could Solve The World’s Water Crisis!

- Show: [The Next Byte Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast)
- Published: 2024-04-30
- Length: 19m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis
- Listen: https://the-next-byte-wevolver.simplecast.com/episodes/172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis-Q4GwaqQz

## Summary

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss research from George Mason University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, led by Professor Jeff Moran, on creating 'coffee bots' from spent coffee grounds to clean polluted water. They explain how the team uses nanoengineering to coat the biodegradable grounds with iron oxide for magnetic control and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to remove industrial dyes like methylene blue. The hosts highlight the technology's ability to address the high cost, inefficiency, and environmental harm of current water purification methods, while noting potential future applications for microplastic removal and chlorine-free drinking water disinfection.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis#t=0) Introduction and Context: The Water Crisis
- [2:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis#t=127) The Problem with Current Water Solutions
- [4:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis#t=297) Introducing the Coffee Bots: Spent Coffee Grounds
- [8:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis#t=529) The Secret Sauce: Iron Oxide and Magnetic Control
- [12:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis#t=727) Functionalizing with Ascorbic Acid for Dye Removal
- [16:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis#t=1013) Future Applications: Microplastics and Disinfection
- [18:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-04-30-172-dont-throw-away-coffee-grounds-they-could-solve-the-worlds-water-crisis#t=1094) Conclusion: The Future of Coffee Grounds

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- George Mason University (company)
- Ford (company)
- McDonald's (company)
- Starbucks (company)
- Wevolver (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Keeping Microplastics Out of Nature: A Discussion with Adam Root, Founder of Matter.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-03-28-keeping-microplastics-out-of-nature-a-discussion-with-adam-root-founder-of-matte) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [#065 - How to care about sustainability to get rid of plastic bottles (and still make a profit), with Moritz Waldstein of Mitte, Germany](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-12-19-065-how-to-care-about-sustainability-to-get-rid-of-plastic-bottles-and-still-mak) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [Cleaning America’s 500,000 Toxic Land Sites: The PFAS Breakthrough](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-05-22-cleaning-americas-500-000-toxic-land-sites-the-pfas-breakthrough) (Hardware to Save a Planet)

## Citing this page

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