How To Repurpose Used Coffee Grounds
Most mornings when I wake up the first thing I do is make myself a coffee. I am definitely not alone in this. In Australia, more than 75% of Australians enjoy at least one cup of coffee each day. Because so many of us are drinking coffee it is creating a lot of used coffee grounds. Unfortunately, a lot of used coffee is wasted. But they shouldn't be, they can have a second life. Here are some simple tips on how to repurpose used coffee grounds so they don't unnecessarily end up in a landfill.
1. Compost your coffee grounds
Coffee grounds are an organic material, therefore they can be composted in your worm farm, your bokashi bin or your large compost heap. They are a green material and will break down easily. Composting coffee grounds is a great way to kill two birds with one stone, reduce your waste and feed your garden. This is my personal favourite thing to do with them.
2. Place on your soil
Another great use for your used coffee grounds is to place it straight onto the topsoil of your garden bed or pots. It is believed coffee grounds placed directly in your garden will act as a fertiliser and mulch. Just like composting, the coffee grounds will break down and benefit the overall health of the soil and the plant. Over time, the coffee will add nitrogen into your soil, improve drainage, water retention and increase aeration.
3. Make a face and body scrub
Many people spend money on coffee ground face and body scrubs like this one here. But these facial scrubs are actually super easy to make on your own. Coffee scrubs take less than five minutes to make and are excellent for your skin. It requires just a few ingredients, things you probably have in your pantry already.Ingredients:
1 cup of coffee
3/4 cup of coconut oil or oil of your choice.
1 cup of brown sugar
Method:
Melt Coconut oil until it is a liquid consistency.
Mix coffee, oil and sugar together in a bowl.
Place in a reusable jar and seal.
Where to get coffee grounds from?
If you don't use a coffee machine, you only drink instant coffee, or you don't drink coffee but you still want to get involved, ask your local coffee shop. Most cafes will gladly give you a bag for free, after all, it would probably just end up in the bin anyway.You could also ask your friends and family who usually waste it to save some for you.
Pod coffee
capsule coffee, used coffee, coffee grounds
I currently live with my girlfriend and together we live at her parent's house while we save up enough money to buy our own home. They, like many Australians, have purchased a capsule coffee machine. It's simple and fast to make yourself a great tasting cafe-style coffee without having to leave your home. Just place a pre-packed pod filled with coffee into the machine and press a button. The problem is most people end up throwing the entire capsule, coffee and all, into the garbage bin. However, a better thing to do is to extract the coffee and feed it to your worms, place it directly on top of the soil or in the compost.Of course, the pods are also a waste in themselves, however, taking the coffee grounds out reduces the total amount of waste. If you want to create barista-style coffees using a capsule machine consider investing in stainless steel, reusable coffee pods like these ones sold on Biome. Instead of purchasing single-use coffee capsules, you can reduce your waste output by purchasing bags of coffee beans in bulk, grinding them and putting them into the reusable pod. If you're interested in grinding your beans also think about how much electricity you would use. Opting for a manual grinder like this one by Podstar is quick and easy and doesn't use any electricity.Next time you make or buy a coffee from your local business, think about how you can minimise the waste. Repurposing used coffee grounds is a great way to waste less and feed your soil at the same time. Thanks for reading my tips on how to repurpose used coffee grounds, I hope they were helpful. If you think I have missed something, please let me know in the comments. Until next time, good luck in the garden.