Grounds for Good brings together science, industry and sustainability experts in Cardiff for a not-for-profit event sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, with all gross tickets sales split equally between two charitable causes.

Wales is set to put waste coffee grounds under the spotlight as Grounds for Good and Cardiff Metropolitan University prepares to host the inaugural Welsh Symposium on the Valorisation of Waste Coffee Grounds in Cardiff on 9th November 2026.

The event, sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, will bring together experts, researchers and industry representatives to explore the untapped potential of spent coffee grounds and how their reuse could support scientific innovation, sustainable business and the Welsh economy.

Hosted at Cardiff’s Clayton Hotel, the symposium has a particularly fitting setting. The hotel works with Grounds for Good to recycle its spent coffee grounds, demonstrating how hospitality businesses can play a practical role in creating a more circular economy.

The event is being run on a not-for-profit basis, with the Royal Society of Chemistry covering hospitality and event expenses. All gross ticket sales will be divided equally between the Royal Society of Chemistry and Llamau, the Welsh charity supporting young people and vulnerable women experiencing homelessness. The arrangement means ticket revenue will directly support both organisations, while event costs are covered separately.

For Grounds for Good, the symposium represents an important step towards a wider ambition: achieving net-zero waste coffee grounds across South Wales by ensuring that spent grounds are collected, reused and diverted from disposal wherever possible.

Founded by retired medic Dr Rosie Oretti, Grounds for Good was established around the belief that coffee waste should be seen as a resource rather than a problem. The business transforms spent coffee grounds into distinctive Welsh spirits and champions further opportunities to recover value from this everyday material, connecting sustainability with research, innovation and commercial enterprise.

Rosie said: “Bringing together experts to explore the potential of waste coffee grounds, and making that conversation accessible to a Welsh audience, has been an ambition of ours for several years. We’re absolutely delighted to be co-hosting this inaugural symposium with Professor Christopher Wallis (Head of Global Academy and Professor of Food Science) from Cardiff Metropolitan University and with the support of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

“We want people to leave feeling inspired by what is possible, but also better informed about the science, the practical challenges and the commercial opportunities. Waste coffee grounds have the potential to contribute to new products, new industries and a more circular Welsh economy. By getting the right people around the table, we hope to help turn that potential into practical action.”

The symposium will explore emerging applications for spent coffee grounds, alongside the research, infrastructure and collaboration needed to make their recovery commercially and environmentally viable. By bringing together academic expertise and real-world business experience, the event aims to encourage new partnerships and identify opportunities that could benefit organisations and communities across Wales.

The gathering comes at an exciting time for Grounds for Good. The business has been named one of the Nation’s Favourite Small Businesses, won the Food & Drink award at the Business in Wales Awards and is due to appear on Aldi: The Next Big Seller on 12th November 2026.

While the company continues to grow its profile through its Welsh spirits, its longer-term mission extends beyond the bottle. Grounds for Good wants to help build a system in which coffee grounds from cafés, hotels and other businesses across South Wales are captured and put to productive use, reducing waste until opening the door to new opportunities.

The inaugural symposium is intended to help accelerate that ambition, demonstrating how collaboration between science, business and the hospitality sector can turn an overlooked waste stream into an opportunity for Wales.

Tickets for the symposium on 9th November are available through Eventbrite here!