Did you know that 36 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year? Those drinks generate 500,000 tons of coffee ground waste and 90% of that waste isn’t being recycled. A significant proportion of coffee ground waste ends up in landfill. As the waste breaks down it emits greenhouse gasses including methane.
If you love your coffee, you will view your purchases of coffee beans as excellent investments. But good coffee isn’t cheap, so why not make the most of every bean while helping to save the planet?
It is surprising how quickly coffee grounds mount up when you use a knock box. You might be throwing those grounds away. But coffee grounds give you a versatile resource that you could utilise in many different ways. Coffee grounds don’t need to end up in landfill.
Here are 20 ways to make better use of your coffee grounds:
- Enhance your garden compost
Coffee grounds are great additions to your compost as they help to break down organic matter. They will also add nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium to your compost. Producing your own compost will reduce the cost of maintaining your garden and will ensure that your plants prosper.
You can also apply coffee grounds as fertiliser directly to the soil around plants. This should be done in moderation to ensure that your soil features a good balance of nutrients for plants. If you grow your own veg, it is worth noting that carrots and radishes love coffee grounds! Coffee grounds will also aid moisture retention and will attract worms to aerate your soil.
- Keep insects and pests away
It might surprise you to hear that coffee repels a variety of unwanted pests. Use grounds both inside and outdoors to rid yourself of annoying visitors! Coffee contains compounds that are toxic to mosquitos, cockroaches and some flies. In addition, the acidity of coffee makes it unappealing to slugs. Sprinkling grounds around your plants will help to prevent slug invasions and gives you an earth-friendly alternative to slug pellets. Cats don’t tend to like coffee grounds either.
- Elevate your cooking
Coffee grounds are features of numerous cake and dessert recipes. You can do your research online to find delicious treats that you will enjoy making at home using your grounds. Better still, coffee grounds can be added to marinades and they contain enzymes and acids that tenderize meat. Include coffee grounds in your dry rubs to imbue red meats with richer flavour.
If you fancy making your own ice cream, coffee grounds will give you a flavoursome ingredient to work with.
- Eliminate odours
Courtesy of the nitrogen and carbon compounds that grounds contain, they can neutralise unpleasant odours in your home or car. Simply place a bowl of grounds in your fridge to address nasty niffs. Fill cloth bags, old socks or any fabric containers with coffee grounds and put them in your car, drawers or gym bag to mitigate odours. Wash your hands with wet grounds to remove the smell of onion or garlic after preparing food. Wrap grounds in filter paper and leave on pet-related stains to remove unwanted smells.
- Boost your cleaning power
As coffee grounds are abrasive, they work well as natural cleaning agents. Use your grounds to remove grime from hard surfaces and pans. The grounds boast anti-bacterial qualities which makes them ideal for use in the kitchen.
- Clean your fireplace
Nothing compares to the ambiance created by an open fire or wood burner. But cleaning fires isn’t a pleasant task, and fires will lead to soot deposits in your home. Spread coffee grounds over ashes as doing this will add moisture to soot that stops it drifting around your room. Grounds also add weight to ashes, making them easier to scoop up when you are cleaning.
- Lift your skincare regime
The coarse texture of grounds gives you a highly effective exfoliant. Simply mix them with water or coconut oil and massage into your skin. Caffeine is an antioxidant that will help protect your skin from sun damage and pollutants.
You can also treat dark circles under your eyes with coffee grounds. With its caffeine content and antioxidant qualities, coffee can reduce the appearance of dark circles. It is also an anti-inflammatory that stimulates blood flow to reduce swelling. Apply coffee ground paste daily beneath your eyes and leave it for a few minutes before wiping it away.
- Take care of your hair
Haircare products can cost a fortune and don’t always deliver the results you are looking for. Why not try using coffee grounds instead? Massage grounds into your scalp to exfoliate and remove product build-up. As coffee contains caffeine, it stimulates blood flow and can even boost hair growth. If you mix coffee grounds with your usual hair products, the grounds will minimise the residues that accumulate on your scalp. Coffee grounds are also subtle colourants and will lend a richer quality to darker hair shades.
- Minimise cellulite
Cellulite impacts up to 90% of women. Applying caffeine in the form of coffee grounds could help to break down fat cells and increase blood flow to affected areas. This will reduce the appearance of cellulite. Coffee won’t eliminate cellulite and it effects are temporary so apply grounds every day if you can.
- Freshen the air
Air fresheners always smell artificial, don’t they? Try a natural alternative by using coffee grounds instead. Place grounds in a suitable container and add essential oils or vanilla essence. Position the container in your home or car and smell the coffee.
- Revitalise your furniture
Wooden furniture will eventually begin to look tired and worn. Create a thick paste using coffee grounds and water, then rub this onto faded or scuffed areas using lint-free cotton cloth. Leave the paste for at least 10 minutes and then wipe it off. The coffee will stain worn areas a darker shade of brown. You might need to experiment to achieve the right shade for your furnishings.
- De-ice your drive
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen which melts ice. Save your grounds throughout the year and if your drive or pathway ices over, apply the grounds instead of salt. Coffee is a wonderful alternative to salt as it won’t impact plants or pollute groundwater.
- Get crafty with candles
Yes! You can get creative with coffee grounds! Coffee scented candles would be special additions to any home and are relatively easy to make. Seek out candle-making instructions online and add coffee grounds instead of essential oils for fragrance. The candles would be amazing gifts for any coffee lovers.
- Grow mushrooms
Mushrooms are famously difficult to grow, as they require specific conditions to thrive. Those conditions include a nutrient-rich substrate. Coffee grounds make for the perfect substrate, as they are loaded with the specific nutrients that mushrooms love.
- Go fishing
If you enjoy fishing, coffee grounds could be your new best friends. They will keep your worms fitter for longer and some fish are attracted to coffee-scented worms. Next time you talk about your fishing adventures, you could be explaining your record catch rather than the one that got away.
- Start brewing
Many craft breweries add coffee to their stouts to lend colour and depth to the beers. Home brewing is a popular pastime and it is certainly worth exploring the possibilities it presents.
- Create a natural dye
Commercial fabric dyes feature numerous unpleasant chemicals. If you are looking for a natural alternative, think coffee grounds. Wet the grounds and use as a dye for natural fabrics or paper. You can imbue both materials with a vintage look, colour them and conceal existing stains. Coffee will even colour cellophane.
Why wouldn’t you go to grounds?
Who would have thought that coffee grounds could prove to be so versatile and useful? Don’t throw out your grounds. Save them and make use of them. Coffee grounds give you effective and earth-friendly options that cost you nothing. What could be better than that?