When coffee’s roasted, the husks are discarded and it’s been the practice for a long period of time. However, thanks to this innovative company, they’re now being transformed into building materials.
Coffee husks are papery natural materials of coffee beans that come off when the beans are roasted. In most cases, it’s waste and it’s discarded in piles.
Unfortunately, these piles release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. But, thanks to this Colombian company, there’s a smart way to use them to make building materials when combined with recycled plastic.
Innovative Colombian Company Uses Coffee Waste to Make Building Materials
Woodpecker is a company based in Bogota and they use this strong, but lightweight material to create the walls for their prefab houses that can be purchased for as little as $4,500.
The company started developing this method a decade ago. According to Alejandro Franco, the CEO, they saw an immense need for lightweight construction for housing and classrooms in the isolated and rural areas where traditional methods aren’t suitable.
They had to procure materials sufficiently light to be moved in small boats, burros or a helicopter. They tested several natural fiber combos, including sawdust and rice and grass and palm fiber with different recycled plastics.
They decided to go with coffee husks as they’re drier and stronger than the other fibers. And, it’s readily available in their country, known as the one of the largest coffee makers in the world.
The final material they get is durable, insect-resistant, and fire proof.
Affordable Housing which can Easily Be Put Together
The company manufactures small Lego-like kits which can be assembled on site easily, using steel frame and coffee husk boards which click together with a couple of tools.
Most of the homes are built by the company; however, there are customers who prefer purchasing the kits and combining them on their own.
The company is designing each model home with as few parts as possible and included standard parts between various designs to ensure costs are low.
The recycled materials are also affordable and the company further lowers their costs by making these materials at a larger scale. The construction usually lasts less than a week.
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