From cup to garden: how UABCS transforms coffee waste into organic fertilizer

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La Paz, Baja California Sur — Since 2023, the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) has been developing the program called “Coffee Route”, through which more than 3,500 kilograms of coffee waste have been collected and incorporated into vermicomposting processes at the university’s agricultural field, with the goal of producing organic fertilizer.

The project began in 2023 as part of a University Social Responsibility strategy focused on sustainable waste management. According to Ariadna Esmeralda Ávila García, head of the University Social Responsibility Coordination, the initiative arose with the goal of making use of organic waste generated within the community.

“The Coffee Route program emerged as an initiative to generate food for the vermicompost system we have at the university,” she explained. She added that this effort also seeks to raise awareness about the volume of waste produced and the alternatives for its reuse.

In its first year, collection reached 720 kilograms of coffee from 15 offices. By 2024, the figure increased to 1,000 kilograms, and in 2025 it reached 1,650 kilograms, reflecting steady growth in both participation and the amount of recovered waste.

Currently, about 37 academic and administrative offices actively participate, although the total number of involved spaces reaches around 100 areas within the university. In addition, the program has expanded to other campuses such as Loreto and Guerrero Negro, while in Ciudad Insurgentes similar actions are being developed with organic waste.

The operation of the Coffee Route depends in part on student participation, either through social service or volunteering. So far, 18 students have directly contributed to the development of the program, also helping to spread it within the university community.

Additionally, spaces remain open for external participants to join the project. Priscila Flores Ledesma, administrative manager of the University Social Responsibility Coordination, stated that anyone can bring organic waste suitable for vermicomposting. “Anyone can come and drop off their organic waste; they can also be guided to obtain leachate, humus, or compost,” she said.

Those interested in joining, donating waste, or acquiring products can contact the program via email at rsu@uabcs.mx or by phone at 612 123 8800, extension 1052. Information is also available on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok under @RSU.UABCS, and on YouTube as @RSU_UABCS, where activities and calls related to the program are shared.