Scalene Coffee Research Organization Develops COPTERS (Coffee Pulping Water Recovery System) to Reduce Water Wastage in the Coffee Pulping Process

Scalene Coffee Research Organization a member of Organisation De Scalene Foundation, a global leader in sustainable technology innovations, announces the launch of COPTERS (Coffee Pulping Water Recovery System) Technology, a groundbreaking water recovery system developed to reduce water wastage in the coffee pulping process drastically by recovering almost 90% of pulped water. This ground-breaking Pulp Effluent Recovery System offers an integrated solution to the challenges of water scarcity and environmental impact in coffee production, representing a breakthrough in sustainable water management in coffee wet processing.

COPTERS (Coffee Pulping Water Recovery System)

The expansion of the coffee industry has raised awareness of the environmental impact of coffee processing, especially the problems with waste management and excessive water use. For every kilogramme of coffee beans, traditional coffee pulping uses about 20,000 liters of water to get high quality parchment. The Coffee pulping water recovery system redefines industry sustainability standards by lowering this requirement to an unprecedented 500 milliliters per kg of clean coffee.

The COPTER System treats and purifies pulping wastewater using cutting-edge fine particle shortwave dissociation technology, eliminating impurities at the elemental level and enabling water reuse. By treating enormous quantities of effluent, the system not only helps with regulatory compliance but also makes it feasible to reuse clean water, significantly lowering the environmental impact of coffee production. COPTERS offers coffee growers an economical and environmentally responsible solution that also increases profit margins by drastically reducing water usage, providing high grade bio nutrient for the coffee plants and also gives an option for carbon mitigation including the carbon credits.

COPTERS contributes to a sustainable future by focusing on key benefits such as the Circular Economy, achieving Zero Liquid Discharge, and providing Enriched Bionutrients. It generates Water Credits, lowers Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Operational Expenditure (OpEx), and ensures strict Regulatory Compliance. By adopting this system, coffee growers gain an economical and environmentally responsible solution that enhances profit margins through drastically reduced water usage. Through this system, the income of coffee farmers will also be increased in three folds. The first of the COPTER System was implemented at Bagavathi Estate, in Madapura of Kodagu district, during the 2023-24 harvest season.

Enthusiastic about the achievement Dr. Rajah Vijay Kumar, Chairman of Organisation De Scalene Foundation, stated, “I think our team has solved one of the oldest problems in wet processing of coffee. Now, you need not be guilty of destroying 145 Liters of water for every cup of coffee you drink. This technology is developed for the world of coffee, it will be made available to all coffee farmers all over the world. We have to save our heaven for the ones to come.”

About Scalene Coffee Research Organization

Scalene Coffee Research Organization LLP (SCRO) is one of the research wings under Organization De Scalene Foundation (ODSF) headquartered in Bangalore. SCRO is a research organization that predominantly conducts various research in coffee space that includes areas of engineering in coffee like harvesting technologies, dewedding technologies, green house gases mitigation in coffee environmental and water management in coffee processing as well as specialized stress irrigation, soil and drought fertility management etc.

SCRO has its field office at Madapura in Kodagu. SCRO is also a member of the World Coffee Research and Speciality coffee association.