Hop Waste and Valorisation
- Growing Kent & Medway

- Apr 26, 2025
- 1 min read
Report: The potential of hop by-products for a biobased circular economy
Details
This report explores the potential use for mushroom waste and by-products.
After hops are harvested for the brewing industry, the remaining stems and
cones can generate a substantial amount of waste. Kent is home to several
breweries and distilleries, which can produce by-products like spent grains after the
brewing process.
Hop waste is notable but largely underutilised. Key by-products like spent hops can
be repurposed in animal feed, fertilisers, and food products or transformed into
biofuels. Extraction of xanthohumol and other compounds for pharmaceutical,
cosmetic, and agricultural applications can bring added value to hop by-products.
This report is an extract from a wider publication looking at the potential for agricultural and horticultural waste for a biobased circular economy in South East England. The full report explores opportunities for vegetable, fruit, hop, cereal, and mushroom waste valorisation.


