Brew to Shine: Upcycling Spent Coffee Formulations as an Organic Alternative to Commercial Shoe Polishers

This study developed and evaluated an organic shoe polisher using upcycled spent coffee grounds (SCG), coconut oil, and beeswax as a sustainable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective shoe polish alternative to commercial shoe polishers containing harsh chemicals. With the increasing concerns about organic waste disposal and environmental sustainability, SCG seemed like a target of opportunity since it is a resource that is underutilized and releases harmful greenhouse gases when improperly discarded. Five formulations with different ratios of the ingredients were tested against critical performance values: shine level, color enhancement, durability/wearing resistance, water repellency, texture/consistency, adhesion, and odor acceptability. The study was carried out in Noveleta, Cavite, with the use of SCG collected from local households and cafes and top-grain leather as the test material and a commercial shoe polish as reference material. Findings that all formulations proved effective shoe care properties, but it was found that Trial 5 (100 mL beeswax, 20 g SCG, 100 mL coconut oil) proved to be the most superior of all. It had a high shine, a good effect of fading leather to a rich jet black color, good performance (4-hour performance), good water resistance (26, 524.60s delay absorption time), and smoothness of applying texture. good adhesion, a good smell of coffee, and it is acceptable. Other formulations had varying degrees of performance, where Trial 1 (100 mL beeswax, 15 g SCG, 150 mL coconut oil) also produced good results with a pleasing coconut smell. The findings confirmed that an efficient and sustainable shoe polisher based on a well-balanced combination of the three ingredients Spent Coffee Grounds, coconut oil, and beeswax can be produced to address environmental concerns and with similar or superior performance compared to commercial products in some key areas. This research links to the aims of transforming waste materials into a usable product and promotes the principles of green chemistry and circular economy.