'Good for you and good for the planet': Okotoks company turns coffee, beer byproducts into usable goods

Okotoks-based Groundup Eco-Ventures focuses on upcycling two products -- coffee grounds and spent grain.

Shawn Leggett, who owns the company, has developed a process to remove the valuable oils from the products, dry them and grind them into flour.

"Our products are all high-nutrition," he said.

"So it's high-protein, high-fibre, the skincare products, the extracts that we make, all have benefits for your skin, so we make things that are good for you and good for the planet."

Leggett started the company in June 2021.

He says upcycling is taking something that is considered waste and re-purposing it.

The materials are used to create a product of higher quality or value, not lower.

"Globally, upcycling is really taking off," Leggett said.

"It's a $53-billion economy that you see really big in Europe, it's really taken off in the U.S., but in Canada, we're lagging behind.

"There's small companies like ours that are doing it. There's some bigger companies that are working on more finite things like protein extractions and stuff."

Leggett says upcycling also helps keep prices down for consumers because he's not competing for goods with other companies.

"I'm not fighting the brewery for barley -- the brewery can go buy their barley and then I'll work with the brewery on the end," he said.

"I get what I need, so that helps keep prices down because you don't have as many people fighting for it."

In terms of coffee, Leggett says 300 million kilograms of beans are imported every year to brew coffee and then get thrown out.

He says there's a tremendous opportunity because what upcycled grounds can be used in is very diverse.

"You don't look at your coffee grounds and think there's a ton of stuff there," Leggett said.

"But you extract the oils out, it does tremendous things for skincare and haircare. You then mill it into flour and it's 15 per cent protein, it's high in fibre, it's more potassium per gram than a banana. It's got all these great attributes."

Michael Hiltz, co-owner of Big Beaver Brewing in Okotoks, which just opened in April 2022, was approached by Groundup and now supplies it with spent grains.

"Groundup is an Okotoks company, we're an Okotoks company," Hiltz said.

"The fact that we can purchase Canadian barley, use it to make our delicious beer and then (Leggett) takes it and makes his wonderful products with it, it's just a really cool story, for sure."

Now, Groundup is working to improve its technology and develop new equipment to process faster and cheaper, as well as increase food safety and product quality.

"That then allows us to expand our product line," Leggett said.

"We're looking for a consistent source of carrot pulp, we're looking for a consistent source of avocado seeds, because you can upcycle avocado seeds and have zero waste off of those. That will allow us to expand our product line once that platform is developed and then we will take what we do here in Okotoks and we will replicate this in multiple centres across North America.

"We want to market our technology globally, so we have really big plans."

Leggett says while all this is taking place, he's making sure the products produced at the facility are affordable for consumers and commercial clients.

"(Spent grain flour's) protein content is the same as almond flour," he said.

"The fibre content's way higher and it's at a cost point that's less. Our protein pancake mix is cheaper than a leading protein pancake mix on the market."

More information about Groundup Eco-Venture can be found at groundupev.com.