Coffee Waste Clays

Used coffee grounds from campus cafés are being transformed into a sustainability solution through a student-led initiative at Ramjas College. Project Avinya, developed by the college’s Enactus team, is repurposing coffee waste into a clay-like material that can be shaped into decorative and functional products.

The project addresses a growing waste challenge faced by food service operators, as large volumes of coffee grounds typically end up in landfills. Under Project Avinya, grounds are collected from six to seven cafés on campus each week, with plans to expand sourcing to nearby landfills as the model scales. The collected waste is then processed into a sustainable clay that can be molded into items such as pendants, keychains, fridge magnets, and other small home decor pieces. Local artisans are engaged to craft the finished products.

"For students of Delhi University, coffee is a daily need. There are so many cafes around the North Campus area which students go to everyday, but do not think of the waste it produces,” said second-year student Kanishka Yadav (20), president of Enactus.

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