dunkin' donuts builds tiny transportable house that runs on discarded coffee grounds

dunkin’ donuts just took its famous ‘america runs on dunkin’ slogan to the next level by designing a transportable tiny home that literally runs on discarded dunkin’ coffee grounds. the mobile structure is fueled by a biofuel blend using 80 percent coffee oil extracted from about 65,000 pounds of used grounds. the restaurant chain worked with blue marble biomaterials — a sustainable biochemical company — to extract excess oils in the spent coffee grounds, mix, react, and refine the biodiesel. every 170 pounds of spent coffee grounds yields about one gallon of fuel and is used in a standard biofuel generator.

all images courtesy of airbnb 

built in partnership with new frontier tiny homes, the dunkin’ at home dwelling took a little more than three months to complete. measuring 275 square feet, the exterior of the home is clad in black stained cedar wood reminiscent of a cup of coffee, and corten steel panels with a dusty matte finish similar to the coffee grounds that power the home. internally, the interior was designed in partnership with actress olivia wilde, with features including multifunctional furniture, a chef’s kitchen, a living room for two, solid walnut floors and a full-size cedar porch.

the dwelling first popped up in new york’s madison square park earlier this month, and has now made its way to nahant, massachusetts where its currently available to rent on airbnb for just $10 per night.