Most people throw out their coffee grounds without a second thought. Some toss them on the compost heap for fertilizer. A few students, however, are using spent coffee grounds in another way, one that is capable of helping others in need.

In order to aid refugees, the majority of whom rely on firewood to perform 90% of their cooking, students from the University of Toronto developed a way to turn leftover coffee grounds into fuel for a fire. CTV News reports that the engineering students invented Moto, which is a fake flammable log made of sugar, coffee grounds and paraffin wax that can burn for up to 90 minutes!

If used, this invention will reduce the risk refugees are exposed to when they leave safe encampments and explore potentially dangerous areas to find firewood. It will also make their lives easier, as they won't have to rely on the fast-burning fuel to stay warm and for cooking purposes.

One of the Canadian students told the press:

"As soon as they're out of the camp, they're unsafe and that leaves them open to assault. Moto logs prevent the dangers associated with that, but also frees women up to spend time doing other things, whether that's trying to find another source of revenue or spending time educating their kids."

Caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the world, so there is no shortage of coffee grounds. The students are presently obtaining used grounds from local Starbucks, Second Cup, and Tim Hortons establishments. In the future, the innovative team intends to create a simple recipe that can be replicated by anyone, regardless of their location or proximity to a coffee shop. The video below explains more.