High School Students Turn Coffee Husks into Tea

The idea was born one afternoon at the end of harvest season, when the family yard was blanketed with drying coffee husks and the highland breeze carried their familiar earthy scent. Hoa recalled that every year, a huge amount of coffee husks was discarded — often burned or left to decompose, causing unpleasant odors and environmental pollution. “We looked at each other and asked, why not turn them into something useful?” she said. That simple question led them to discover that coffee husks contain valuable compounds such as vitamin C, natural caffeine, and antioxidants.

Their project, “Tea from Coffee Husk,” officially began in August 2024. The deeper they researched, the more they realized how much potential lay in what many considered waste. When properly processed, the husk could become the base for a mild, naturally aromatic tea that promotes health and sustainability. But the journey from idea to finished product required patience and persistence.

The first challenge was sourcing clean, safe raw materials. To ensure quality, the two students collected coffee husks only from organic farms that did not use pesticides. “We had to visit farmers one by one to ask for clean husks,” Uyen explained. “Since coffee is seasonal, we also had to figure out how to dry and preserve them for year-round production.”

Finding the ideal drying temperature proved tricky. Several batches burned due to excessive heat, destroying the flavor. After multiple experiments, they settled on a low-temperature slow-drying process, which preserved the husk’s natural sweetness and aroma.

The next steps involved meticulous craftsmanship. The coffee husks were cleaned, finely ground, and blended with local herbs such as lotus leaves, goji berries, cordyceps, pandan leaves, and jujubes. The result was a smooth, pleasant-tasting tea with potential health benefits — aiding digestion, reducing stress, and detoxifying the body. Each tea bag represented dozens of rounds of testing and formula adjustments.

When the prototype was ready, the students sent samples to the Center for Standards, Metrology, and Quality for testing. The results confirmed that the tea met food safety standards and was suitable for consumption — an important step toward building credibility and scientific validation.

Under the dedicated mentorship of Ms. Ngo Thi Tuyet Mai, a biology teacher at Tan Ha High School, the project gradually took shape and gained direction. Ms. Mai shared that Uyen and Hoa are both diligent and curious students, unafraid to experiment with innovative ideas. Their project became the school’s first recognized entry at the provincial startup competition in 2025, inspiring many of their peers to pursue practical, community-oriented innovations.

Before that, the coffee husk tea had already won First Prize at the school’s STEM contest, Second Prize at the 8th Lam Ha District (former) Youth Innovation Competition, and in October 2025, received a Consolation Prize at the 8th Lam Dong Youth Startup and Innovation Contest, organized by the Provincial Youth Union.

Uyen and Hoa shared that their next goal is to establish a closed-loop production model in their community. They also plan to integrate QR codes for product traceability, ensuring transparency and building consumer trust. With more technical and financial support, the duo hopes to expand production in partnership with local agricultural cooperatives — ultimately achieving OCOP certification (One Commune One Product) in the near future.