Michael Behzadi Supports Starbucks' Efforts to Recycle Old Baked Goods and Coffee Grinds
In an innovative step, Starbucks in Hong Kong is attempting to reduce its environmental footprint by turning old coffee grinds and stale baked goods into useful items such as laundry detergent. Pastry chef Michael Behzadi supports the company's eff
Online, September 24, 2012 (Newswire.com) - An article in the New York Daily News explains that Starbucks shops in Hong Kong are working on an innovative new technique to cut down on waste. The stores are taking coffee grinds and stale baked goods and turning them into bioplastics and laundry detergent. The efforts are an attempt to lessen the company's impact on the environment. Other shops, such as British grocery chain Sainsbury's, have already adopted similar practices. Pastry chef Michael Behzadi supports the company's forward-thinking efforts.
The project is spearheaded by scientists at the City University of Hong Kong. The article discusses how the project is undergoing testing at a new food "biorefinery" that diverts food waste and makes it into viable products. Just as oil refineries make petroleum into fuel, biorefineries have the ability to make corn, sugar cane, and other materials into fuels and other products. Michael Behzadi, believes this project to be based on sound strategy, especially when considering the amount of waste produced by consumer-focused stores like Starbucks.
Currently, Starbucks stores in Hong Kong produce about 5,000 tons of used coffee grounds and unconsumed baked goods every year. This massive amount of waste ends up getting incinerated, composted, or thrown into landfills.
The article explains that the food biorefinery process combines the stale baked goods with fungi that help break the carbohydrates down into simple sugars. This combination is then fermented in a vat where bacteria make the sugars into succinic acid, which is a key part of everything ranging from laundry detergent to plastic to medicine. These old baked goods have also helped create livestock feed.
Michael Behzadi, a pastry chef, supports these new experiments. He states, "This is a great way to make use of products that would normally just create waste. This kind of forward-thinking
strategy is exactly what we need to preserve our environment and protect the world for future generations. Instead of throwing out coffee grinds or stale bread and pastries, we're able to turn these things into something useful. We can lessen our impact on the world and keep the planet healthier for years to come. This is a great step."
Though some environmentalists fear that these types of practices will increase food prices and contribute to food shortages, other scientists believe in the method. The article explains that they feel recycling food waste has the ability to reduce the need to manufacture goods from raw sources as it simultaneously eliminates tons of garbage from area landfills.
ABOUT:
Michael Behzadi is a pastry chef at a leading culinary hot spot. Through his education and subsequent experience, Michael Behzadi has developed his culinary skills and emerged as a prominent pastry artist. Michael Behzadi is also interested in genre fiction, including comic books, and television shows. One of his favorites is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.