While reading for a class, I came across the story of Java Logs. I promptly looked it up. From the website:

Java-Log, an innovative new firelog made from 100 per cent recycled spent coffee grounds that burns brighter and more beautifully than sawdust firelogs.

Java-Log burns for up to three hours, producing higher, brighter, and more consistent flames than wood, while also releasing a faint, sweet aroma. The log produces 25 per cent more energy and emits over three times the flame capacity (per unit of wood) compared to wood, for a better, cleaner flame.

“With the temperature dropping and people spending more time indoors, there’s no better time than now for Java-Log. It provides features that heighten the fireside experience,” says Marcel Sbrollini, President & CEO of Ottawa-based Java Products Corporation “Not only does Java-Log burn brighter and more beautifully than sawdust firelogs, but it also diverts waste from landfill. Plus, it reduces the overall amount of chimney maintenance needed, and represents a safety advantage, with 50 per cent less soot build-up than with traditional firewood. ”

Java-Log generates 14 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions than sawdust firelogs, which could result in a reduction of up to four million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions per year in North America. The environmental advantages of Java-Log are apparent, not just in the product, but in its packaging. Java-Logs are packaged in environmentally friendly brown paper wrap that can be burned safely in a fireplace.

The product benefits the environment using the world’s most consumed beverage. Turning recycled, spent coffee grounds into reusable energy-based fuels means a reduction in landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Java-Log is available in the North East U.S. at Whole Foods (including the Mid-Atlantic region), Shoprite, King Kullen, The Food Emporium, Stew-Leonard’s, King’s, Waldbaum’s, Harvest COOP, Price Chopper, Shaw’s and Farmer Jack in Michigan and Ohio. In California it is available at Whole Foods. It can also be purchased online at www.java-log.com.