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Project title

Environmental impact analysis of an urban mushroom farm model to decrease food waste

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Beacan Glas Limited

Lead Applicant

Patrick Arnold

Project Abstract

Since 2017 Ireland has imported over 100,000 tonnes of coffee per year. After being transported over great distances, this coffee is then roasted, ground, pressed and steamed, just once, to produce a highly valued drink. After this single use, these high value coffee beans are sent for composting or directly to landfill, both options represent a dramatically wasteful usage of resources. The UpCycle Farm is a sustainably focussed urban farm that utilises the traditional waste stream of spent coffee grounds to grow high value oyster mushrooms. Phase 1 of our business has seen these mushrooms grown in hydroponic tents as we have experimented with our growing medium and environmental conditions. Phase 2 has seen us retrofit a 45 foot cold storage shipping container in order to scale our operation whilst also incorporating the learnings from Phase 1. This shipping container is shortly set to be located at Airfield Estate urban farm in Dublin giving us direct access to the public and allowing us to raise awareness of our circular process. This application refers to Phase 3 of our plan which has a number of objectives. First, we want to quantify the potential environmental impact coffee-based mushroom farms can have in Ireland. Second, we want to identify the most effective utilisation of coffee-based spent mushroom substrate. Third, we wish to determine the viability of a mushroom farm that is self-sufficient for all its resource needs. And finally we want to trial other waste streams to test their suitability as a growing medium for mushrooms. It is our intention that identified solutions should be accessible and replicable for other smaller scale operations without the space or budget of larger commercial enterprises, and that this report will enable similar initiatives to combat urban food waste in Ireland.

Grant Approved

�28,314.80

Research Hub

Cleaner Production - Green Enterprise - Innovation and Demonstration

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

04/01/2022

Initial Projected Completion Date

03/01/2023