Coffee may be a morning ritual for millions, but what happens after the brewing is finished often goes unnoticed.
Used coffee grounds are typically mixed with the rest of a household’s or business’s trash, but one Tampa Bay business is hoping to give this waste a second life. Hofi & Haan Collective is partnering with New Port Richey FarmNet to create a system where this resource can continue generating value after its first use.
As a mobile coffee bar, Hofi & Haan Collective offers organic, ethically sourced coffee at corporate events, weddings and other private gatherings. When an event ends, instead of sending its spent coffee grounds to a landfill, they are collected and delivered to FarmNet, a community-driven organization dedicated to building sustainable food systems and promoting urban agriculture in New Port Richey.
The coffee grounds are composted and used in the organization’s regenerative farm soil. So far, Hofi & Haan Collective has donated more than 40 pounds of coffee grounds — which provide micronutrients and a boost of nitrogen to soil — to FarmNet, though that number grows by the event.
“Creating a local circular economy was always part of our vision, and finding the right partner made it possible,” said Bremen de Haan, founder of Hofi & Haan Collective. “Today, our coffee grounds and compostable serviceware are returned to the soil through regenerative agriculture, allowing the impact of each event to continue long after the last cup is served.”
A new business that launched earlier this year, Hofi & Haan Collective had the goal of creating a positive experience that also leaves behind an impact, he said.
“For us, responsible business has always been our North Star, and sustainability is one way that larger philosophy comes to life,” de Haan said. “Every decision we make is guided by a simple question — Will this decision leave people and the planet better than we found them?”
That question influences several business decisions, from the coffee that is sourced to partner organizations, he says.
“We were fortunate to be connected with FarmNet through the Pasco County government, and from our very first conversations, it was clear that we shared the same vision,” de Haan said.
Dell deChant, steering committee chair for New Port Richey FarmNet, said Hofi & Haan Collective’s commitment to ecological regeneration harmonize with the mission and vision of FarmNet.
“Bremen’s commitment to sharing spent coffee grounds from his business with us directly benefits our composting program, which further benefits our organic community gardens and production of sustainable planting soil,” deChant said.
FarmNet manages a network of community, residential and market gardens. One of the most notable is the Grand Gardens on Grand Boulevard, with other sites in the East Madison neighborhood. The donated coffee grounds will find a home throughout the community, however, deChant says.
“Our compost is used to create our soil mix, which is offered to all growers — in the network and out — in the spirit of generosity with a suggested donation,” he said. “The soil mix is used to start seeds, transplant vegetable seedlings, native wildflowers and small trees.”
It’s that belief in strengthening the local community through sustainability that makes the partnership special, de Haan says.
“Keeping this effort local matters because we believe the greatest impact happens when resources continue creating value with the communities they came from,” de Haan said. “Rather than treating coffee grounds and compostable serviceware as waste, we wanted their lasting value to become part of the local circular economy that benefits people, the community and the environment.”