A brother and sister duo have found an ingenious use for the tonnes of coffee grounds thrown away by cafés every day – by turning them into beauty products.
William and Anna Brightman, from south London, launched nature-friendly beauty brand Optiat – an acronym for ‘one man’s trash is another’s treasure’ – in April 2016 in a bid to tackle coffee waste and are now on track to turn over £1.5million in 2019.
Sourcing Arabica grounds from over 50 local London coffee shops, they repurpose used coffee that would otherwise be discarded and transform them into natural body exfoliators that are rich in antioxidants.
William, 26, first came up with the idea for his business venture when he received a cafetière from his girlfriend at Christmas.
Family affair: Brother and sister William and Anna launched their nature-friendly beauty brand Optiat – an acronym for ‘one man’s trash is another’s treasure’ – last year
After making several cups of coffee with his brand new cafetière, he realised that the used coffee grounds would have to be simply thrown away each time.
After doing some research, he learned that more than 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds are consumed each year in the UK alone and sent to the landfill as waste.
William also discovered that used coffee grounds are high in antioxidants, can act as a natural microbead-free exfoliator, and the caffeine promotes blood flow – which has added skincare bonuses such as reducing the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks.
After deciding to develop a skincare line, he enlisted the help of his younger sister, and the pair used their life savings, plus investment from their parents and from William’s girlfriend (now wife) to launch the business.
Trying out the samples: The duo repurpose used coffee grounds which would otherwise be discarded and transform them into natural body exfoliators that are rich in antioxidants
Lightbulb moment: William, 26, first came up with the idea for Optiat when he received a cafetière from his girlfriend at Christmas
Brainwave: After making several cups of coffee with his new cafetière, William realised that the used coffee grounds would have to be simply thrown away each time
They also secured a loan Virgin Start-Up Loan which them vital funds to meet the minimum order quantities that the packaging manufacturer required to make the coffee scrub tubes.
The pair run their business from the top floor of their parents’ house in Dulwich, south-east London, and use the living room as a warehouse for their stock.
Their products are stocked in eight countries across Europe and are listed in the likes of Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Fenwick Bond Street and As Nature Intended in the UK.
William and Anna have made around £200,000 of sales in their first full year of trading and are now looking for an extra £300,000 investment to expand their business.
Research: After doing some research, William learned that more than 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds are consumed each year in the UK alone and sent to the landfill as waste
Wonder ingredient: The brother and sister duo discovered that used coffee grounds are high in antioxidants, can act as a natural microbead-free exfoliator, and promote blood flow
The pair are forecasting sales of at least £1.5million by 2019 and hope to one day roll their products out across the Middle East, Far-East Asia and the USA.
Optiat coffee scrubs combine moisturising ingredients such as shea butter and almond oil with natural essential oils that are free of parabens and synthetic fragrances to make a variety of scents.
William and Anna have since expanded their range and taken hemp husks from an organic co-operative farm in the Oxfordshire countryside to make their organic facial exfoliators.
Like their coffee scrubs, the masks use biodegradable ingredients which aren’t harmful to the environment such as plastic microbeads.
The packaging is also recyclable, with glass vials, aluminium caps and an outer tube made from recyclable card.
Anna (pictured) told MailOnline: ‘Whilst a lot of attention has historically been focused on what food we put inside our bodies, people are beginning to scrutinise more closely what they are putting on their bodies too’
William enlisted the help of Anna (pictured), and the pair used their life savings, plus investment from their parents and from William’s girlfriend (now wife) to launch the business
Adding to their range, the Brightmans have recently developed exotic scented soaps made from brewed chai tea spices.
Anna, 24, told MailOnline: ‘Our research has shown that as part of the health and wellness trend, people are now turning their focus to the products they put on their skin.
‘Fed up with chemicals, ocean-killing microbeads and animal-testing, they want natural and sustainable alternatives that they can trust. We believe that we offer a range of natural, eco-conscious beauty products that people can love.’
She added: ‘Whilst we can’t make our coffee scrubs organic certified, owing to the fact not all the cafes and bars we collect coffee grounds from use Certified Organic coffee beans, we recognise the importance of organic certification.’