Engineer chemical treatment of coffee grounds as shoe material

Each pair of shoes is made from 3 cups of coffee grounds and 12 plastic cups, capable of waterproofing, deodorizing and blocking UV rays.

Shoe products made from coffee grounds and plastic cups.(Photo: Manh Tung).

Looking at the shoes of engineer Le Thanh, Director of Veritas Shoes Vietnam Co., Ltd, holding on August 22, the people look at the materials to produce them made from coffee grounds and discarded plastic cups. . But that is the sweet fruit after many nights of concern and hands-on research over the past year by author Le Thanh.

Being a chemical engineer, Thanh thinks a lot about how to utilize coffee grounds in Vietnam and the world. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), about 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed globally every day, along with nearly 6 million tons of ground coffee waste. If not treated, decomposing coffee grounds will release methane, the waste gas makes the Earth 86 times warmer than CO2.

Mr. Le Thanh, Director of Veritas Shoes Vietnam Co., Ltd.(Photo: Manh Tung).

A year ago, Thanh invited investors in Shark Tank Vietnam program - The billion-dollar deal poured 4 billion VND with "shoe-making" technology using ScanFit application. Thanh decided to use all of this money into the line of coffee shoes and was agreed by investors because of the clear direction of the product, aimed at consumer health.

KS Thanh continues to look for a partner to produce coffee shoe soles, Chin Lin - a Taiwan shoe soles supplier. The two sides research and develop technology from the end of 2018 to July this year started to produce the first products.

On average, each pair of shoes is produced from 3 cups of coffee grounds and 12 plastic cups. The treated coffee ground material is water resistant, eliminating the wet feeling when wearing shoes during rainy days. Coffee grounds after being used to create coffee fibers are capable of deodorizing because coffee creates micro bags, which "lock" odors. Coffee shoes have antibacterial properties, high antiseptic ability, can block UV rays.

According to Mr. Thanh, the shoe body is imported from another partner from Taiwan. But with the source of ground coffee in the future, he will be autonomous in producing shoe bodies in Vietnam.