Podcast 299: Meet the supplier turning the world’s coffee waste into skincare

Every day, we drink coffee without a second thought – but few of us actually stop to think about what happens to the grounds left behind. Globally, 60 million tonnes of spent coffee grounds are discarded every year, most of which end up in landfill, where they release methane. Yet those same grounds are packed with antioxidants, oils, and bioactive compounds with incredible potential for skincare products.

So what if your daily brew could hold the key to a more sustainable beauty industry?

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier speaks with Cynthia Staats, Business Development Manager at Caffe Inc., a pioneering Dutch company that’s transforming coffee waste into high-performance cosmetic ingredients.

Cynthia shares how Caffe Inc. is capturing coffee waste from cafés, airports and universities across the Netherlands and transforming it into antioxidant-rich oils, scrubs, extracts and surfactants – all designed to replace virgin raw materials in personal care products.

She also reveals why coffee could become the next “it” ingredient in beauty and what this innovation means for the future of sustainable formulation.

If you think upcycled ingredients are a passing trend, think again. Tune into this episode to discover one of the most inspiring movements happening in green beauty today.

“We aim for a world without coffee waste – turning what’s seen as rubbish into ingredients that are as good for the planet as they are for your skin.” — Cynthia Staats

In this episode with Cynthia Staats, you will hear:

• Why coffee waste is such a huge untapped resource: Cynthia explains how only 20% of the coffee bean makes it into your cup while the remaining 80% becomes waste, equating to around 60 million tonnes worldwide every year.
• How Caffe Inc. is transforming coffee waste into high-value extracts: Discover how spent coffee grounds are collected from airports, universities, and hospitals in Amsterdam before being processed using a clean, solvent-free extraction system.
• Inside Caffe Inc.’s circular logistics system: From sealed bins at Schiphol Airport to their facility in Amsterdam North, Cynthia shares the company’s unique collection network and system.
• Why coffee oil outperforms many popular plant oils: Hear how coffee oil’s high levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, omegas and caffeine make it one of the most exciting ingredients on the market right now.

Key takeouts include:

• Upcycling is redefining what sustainability means in beauty: Upcycling is changing the beauty game. Whereas sourcing certain virgin plant materials can drive deforestation and waste, reusing by-products like coffee grounds gives a second life to resources already produced.
• Coffee’s full potential extends far beyond skincare: The beauty industry is beginning to explore innovative uses for coffee beyond creams and serums. From biodegradable packaging and mushroom-grown containers to natural inks for printing on paper or labels, coffee waste can serve as a versatile, sustainable raw material, turning what was once discarded into new applications.
• Scaling up responsibly is key to circular success: While supply isn’t a challenge, maintaining consistency in upcycled ingredients is. Caffe Inc. tackles this by sourcing only from commercial partners with controlled waste streams, ensuring reliability and traceability.
• The future of upcycled beauty is here: Cynthia envisions a time when coffee oil becomes as mainstream as argan or coconut oil, and when upcycled ingredients form the foundation of beauty formulations rather than an exception. This episode makes it clear: the future of beauty has already started.

Meet our guest: Cynthia Staats, Business Development Manager at Caffe Inc.

Cynthia Staats is the Business Development Manager at Caffe Inc., a pioneer in transforming coffee waste into high-performance cosmetic ingredients. With a strong background in natural cosmetics, including experience at a natural cosmetic manufacturer, Cynthia has worked with brands across Europe to help them integrate upcycled, natural ingredients into innovative product lines.

At Caffe Inc., she drives partnerships with cosmetic brands and manufacturers, showcasing how upcycled coffee oil, scrubs, surfactants, and extracts can deliver both powerful skincare benefits and a reduced environmental impact.

Passionate about the future of sustainable cosmetics, Cynthia believes that upcycled ingredients are not just a trend but the next evolution in beauty. Her mission is to connect forward-thinking brands with ingredients that are as good for the planet as they are for the skin.

Find out more about Cynthia and Caffe Inc.:

• Website: Caffe Inc.
• LinkedIn: Cynthia Staats | Caffe Inc.

Special offer: Request and receive exclusive free samples from Caffe Inc. through this page! 

Episodes you might like:

• Episode 59: How upcycled waste built a global beauty brand
• Episode 211: Revolutionising beauty with upcycled ingredients

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.