Brewing Comfort: Komeda Coffee Offers Eco-Friendly Incense Sticks

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The Komeda Coffee Shop, a major chain of cafes, has released a new eco-friendly product. In collaboration with candlemaker Kameyama Co., Komeda developed coffee incense sticks made from recycled used coffee grounds. The new product has been a hit on social media, garnering over 2.8 million reactions. Coffee lovers have expressed joy at using the incense both at their Buddhist altars and as a room fragrance. We asked Komeda about the background of this new best-selling product in an interview.

Offering Coffee to the Deceased

A post on X (formerly Twitter) about using your coffee incense sticks when visiting the graves of coffee lovers received 2.8 million views and sparked discussions. How did this product come about?

At Komeda Coffee Shop, we believe in the value of coffee. This means not just brewing it, but also not wasting the coffee grounds afterwards. That's why we recycle 98% of the coffee grounds produced in the brewing process. They are reused as bedding material for cattle, and then again utilized as high-quality compost, ensuring no waste. We also use them as material and dyes in products sold in our online shop.

Many companies have sustainable practices related to coffee beans, but your product has gained special praise on social media. What is unique about your company's approach that has made this product so popular?

While working on initiatives to recycle our coffee grounds, we learned about a series of food-shaped candles made by Kameyama. These candles are designed as favorite food and drinks to be offered to the deceased. They comfort those in mourning. We began thinking about how Komeda could offer a similar kind of comfort. We ended up collaborating with Kameyama on product development.

As a Room Fragrance

Some consumers have said they'd like to use the new product as a room fragrance. What are your thoughts?

Komeda Coffee Shop's blend of coffee offers a deep flavor when black and becomes even more balanced when high-fat fresh cream and sugar are added. The mild scent of our coffee incense sticks before being lit is similar to this creamy sweet coffee.

Once lit, a subtle coffee scent is evident within the calming aroma of the incense. It can also be used to refresh your mood or add fragrance to your room. We are delighted that people are enjoying the comfort of our product in many ways.

Some are wondering: why does a coffee shop make incense?

For 56 years, Komeda has provided comfort to our customers in our coffee shops. For our online shop, we wanted to develop products that continue to provide comfort, even outside our shops. The incense sticks are part of that effort.

What other products do you sell?

We offer products that give people comfort at home. These include coffee cups and saucers as well as goods inspired by the sofas in our shops. We also have eco-friendly products like apparel dyed with coffee grounds and crayons made from coffee grounds. These help raise awareness of the SDGs in a fun and engaging way.

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