The Future of Palm Oil Is in the Hands of These Two Scottish Entrepreneurs

Much like plastic, palm oil is extremely common, yet extremely harmful to our planet. Palm oil farming has been a major player in deforestation, carbon emissions, and depriving indigenous tribes of their natural habitat. This alarming news has inspired many people to reduce their use of palm oil or avoid it altogether, but a pair of Scottish entrepreneurs found a way to replace this harmful oil for good.

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? Probably more than you care to admit. Entrepreneurs Fergus Moore and Scott Kennedy are no different, but they turned their coffee dependency to a project that can help the world rid itself of palm oil. When the two attended college together, they used to sit in coffee shops for study sessions. They then noticed the huge amount of waste created by grounding a day’s worth of coffee grounds. In the UK alone, coffee grounds waste amounts to hundreds of thousands of tons. Where most people see waste, the youngsters saw an opportunity. Instead of letting the waste and up in landfills, they realized they can use it to produce oil.

Palm oil can be found not only in food, but also in other common products, like cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. This means that once Fergus and Scott’s project picks up, it will have a world-changing effect. Their first challenge is to understand how to extract the oil from the used coffee grounds. They have been approaching the issue with a chemical solution that will hopefully prove useful and make their dream come true.

The duo has started a start-up company names Revive Eco, and so far it has been doing some great things. It has even represented Ireland and Scotland in the annual entrepreneur contest Chivas Venture in 2019! If all goes well, these two Scottish entrepreneurs could be the number one saviors of our worlds’ forest, plus, they will legitimize that extra cup of coffee you’re about to have. Anything for our planet!