Pangasinan college studes develop coffee paper soap

A pocket-sized soap made of paper with activated charcoal from used or spent coffee ground is expected to be among the additions to the coffee trend in this generation.

The product, developed by five students of Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management (Flight Attendant) in WCC Aeronautical and Technological Institute in Binalonan town, Pangasinan province, won the Sustainability Project contest of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Ilocos Region and the SM City Urdaneta Central last Oct. 10.

‘By researching what the current trend in the market, we found out that coffee is the world’s most consumed beverage in the world. This, along with peoples’ consciousness about hand washing due to pandemic, made us come up with the concept of coffee paper soap,’ said Karla Española, one of the student-proponents, in a phone interview Wednesday.

By turning the used coffee grounds into activated charcoal through a certain process, it gains its anti-bacterial component along with its other benefits including skin
moisturizing effect, she said.

‘It is also another way of managing waste,’ Española said.

‘The goal is to create sustainability on the go. It should be travel-friendly,’ she said, underscoring the fact that they are taking up flight attendant course.

The other group members are Erika Antolin, Nathaniel Cabunoc, Ken Espinas, Sheryl-an Palijo, and their adviser, Prof. Sushmita Sen Chan-Montano.

From a 300-gram of spent coffee grounds from their partner coffee shops in Urdaneta City and Laoac town, the group was able to produce around 70 to 80 packs of coffee paper soap, at 15 sheets per pack.

Española said the initial production cost amounted to around PHP3,000 to PHP4,000 for raw materials and packaging.

For a 15-sheet pack, the product can be sold for PHP43 apiece, she said.

For the trial period, the initial batches of finished products were distributed among the members of the group, their friends and some schoolmates.

The students started the project third quarter 2023 for their thesis. They expect
to finalize it by the end of this year with the hope that it will get the attention of various government agencies for funding, development, and mass production.

As a winner, they received PHP5,000 worth of gift certificates from SM and PHP3,000 cash from CHED.

The Sustainability Project contest was participated in by universities and colleges in Pangasinan and La Union as part of the Getting Ready for Environmental Efficiency in the North (GREEN) project of the CHED Ilocos Region and SM, together with the regional offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade and Industry.

CHED Ilocos regional director Dr. Christine Ferrer said the contest provided a platform for students to showcase and ideate solutions and explore collaboration and partnerships.

SM City Urdaneta Central mall manager Abraham Malicdem said the project proposal was submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the SM Group head office fo
r their consideration.

Source: Philippines News Agency