25 September 2026
- More than 5,000 coffees served across Auckland Airport each day
- Around 400kg of coffee grounds collected across domestic and international terminals daily
- More than 300 tonnes of compostable material collected across Auckland Airport's terminals in the past year
- Auckland Airport has reduced waste to landfill by 22% compared with 2019 levels.
Around 5,000 coffees are served across Auckland Airport every day – that’s one coffee every 17 seconds. But for the grounds used to make them, the journey doesn’t end at the café counter.
Collected from coffee operators across the airport’s two terminals, the used grounds – more than 400kg daily – are being rerouted to a commercial compost facility, and eventually back into the soil supporting New Zealand growers.
Mary-Liz Tuck, Auckland Airport’s Chief Strategic Planning Officer, said it showed how even everyday airport waste can have a second life.
“Most people don’t think twice about what happens to coffee grounds left behind after their morning coffee. But across an airport the size of ours, those small daily habits add up quickly. By recovering and composting those grounds, we’re turning a waste product into something that will support growers and healthy soil.”
Recovering material from an airport, however, is not as straightforward as it might sound.
More than 100kg of coffee grounds are generated each day beyond aviation security in Auckland Airport’s international terminal. Waste generated in these controlled areas is subject to strict biosecurity requirements and generally follows secure waste pathways before it can be sterilised and disposed of.
Auckland Airport has worked with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) and its waste partners to establish an approved process to collect and manage coffee grounds separately from other airside waste.
Because commercial coffee grounds have already been processed through roasting and brewing, they are considered a very low biosecurity risk compared with many other food waste materials. This means they can be safely recovered and composted - diverting up to three tonnes of organic material from landfill each month.
Ms Tuck said the key was separating out the coffee grounds before they became mixed with other airside waste.
“Most waste generated beyond aviation security can't be composted because of New Zealand’s strict biosecurity requirements. By separating coffee grounds before they enter the wider waste stream, we’ve found a practical way to return this material to productive use while continuing to protect New Zealand’s biosecurity.”
Once collected, the grounds are taken to Tuakau-based Envirofert for composting.
Paul Yearbury, Operations Manager at Envirofert, said the coffee grounds begin a new journey once they arrive at the composting facility.
“Through composting, we're able to transform the coffee grounds into a product that can be put back to work by growers around New Zealand.”
This includes Sanger Smart Growers in Waiau Pā, where coffee grounds help to improve soil structure, retain moisture and support plant health.
Amol Singh, Operations Manager at Sanger Smart Growers, said it was a good example of how materials that might otherwise be discarded could be put to productive use.
"Compost is important for our operation. Most people wouldn’t expect coffee sold at an airport to end up supporting New Zealand growers.”
The coffee grounds programme forms part of Auckland Airport's wider efforts to reduce waste from its operations. More than 300 tonnes of compostable material were collected across the airport's domestic and international terminals in the past year, while waste sent to landfill was 22% below Auckland Airport's 2019 baseline.
Food and compostable packaging account for an estimated 25% of non-recycled terminal waste in the past year, and Auckland Airport has committed to reducing waste sent to landfill from aeronautical operations by 20% by 2030, compared with 2019 levels.
Auckland Airport is also strengthening sustainability requirements for food and beverage operators, including reducing waste at source, using reusable serveware for dine-in customers, providing compostable takeaway packaging and separating materials for composting and recycling.
ENDS
Video: Coffee grounds - Auckland Airport
NOTES TO EDITOR
Travelling more sustainably
While Auckland Airport is working to recover more coffee grounds and organic waste, reducing waste remains the most effective solution.
Travellers can help by:
- Bringing a reusable coffee cup and water bottle when travelling.
- Using the airport's water refill stations located throughout the domestic and international terminals.
- Placing waste in the correct bin to help reduce contamination.
- Bringing a reusable shopping bag if planning to shop in the terminal.
- Checking what can be taken through security to avoid unnecessary waste.