The Economist Launches Coffee Grounds Recycling Program

The Economist, the international business and world affairs publication, announced that it will launch an experiential marketing campaign in New York City during March and April to highlight the impact of food waste. The campaign, “Grounds for Change,” will involve a traveling coffee cart, offering participants the option to compost or upcycle the coffee grounds.

"The campaign brings The Economist's mind-stretching journalism to life and challenges potential readers to consider new ideas and solutions to reflect on more environmentally sustainable approaches towards food production and consumption," said Marina Haydn, senior vice president of circulation and retail marketing at The Economist, in a statement.

The program is an offshoot of a report from The Economist that discussed the creation of biodiesel fuel from used coffee grounds. The report noted that one liter of biodiesel fuel could be made from 5 to 7 kilograms of coffee grounds, depending on the oil content of the coffee.

The coffee cart will begin its journey in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, on March 18 and will make its way throughout the city during the months of March and April.