Many of us believe that because coffee is biodegradable, the environmental impact is negligible and just toss spent coffee grounds into regular trash.
But when left in landfills, used coffee grounds release methane, a greenhouse gas 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Therefore, you may be considering other options for your old coffee grounds. There are numerous creative and environmentally responsible methods to repurpose items rather than discarding them. You’ll not only lessen your impact on the environment, but you’ll also come up with some inventive and unexpected uses for used coffee grounds.
What to do with spent coffee grounds at home? Here are 8 ideas:
1) Discard your used coffee grounds.
One of the easiest methods to prevent your coffee grounds from going in the trash is to do this. Nitrogen, which is crucial for converting organic matter into nutrient-rich fertilisers, is abundant in used coffee grounds.
Start by gathering all of your organic kitchen waste (fruits, veggies, eggshells, and so on) in a single container outside your garden if you don’t already have a compost bin. Use a lid and regularly empty it outside to ward off fruit flies.
When it’s time to compost, scatter the coffee grounds thinly on the ground and give them a quick turn. See if any friends, family, neighbours, or nearby allotments have any compost accessible if you don’t have a garden of your own to store or use the compost in.
2) Feed the worms and use the grinds as raw fertiliser.
You can use used coffee grounds as a slow-release fertiliser if you have your own garden, outdoor planters, vegetable patch, or allotment (or know someone who does).
Coffee grounds are a good slow-release fertiliser for plants since they contain a significant amount of nitrogen as well as potassium, phosphorus, and other minerals.
Coffee grounds should be spread thinly over the soil and lightly worked through to encourage drainage, water retention, and aeration. The grounds also draw beneficial bacteria like earthworms to the nutrient-rich soil.
3) In your used coffee, cultivate gourmet mushrooms
Did you know that spent coffee grounds may be used to cultivate mushrooms? Straw and spores should be combined with the grounds before they are grown in sealed bags and kept in the dark at 20 to 24 °C for two to three weeks. After that, poke holes in the bags and set them in an autumnal environment. You’ll enjoy fresh, gourmet mushrooms a few weeks later!
The fact that coffee grounds have already been sterilised during the brewing process makes them preferable to other organic materials. By adding coffee grounds, you can skip the process of pasteurising the straw or sawdust with hot water or steam.
4) Use your former property to keep cats, snails, and slugs away from your garden.
Coffee grounds make excellent natural pesticides because their gritty texture can stop slugs and snails from eating your flowers and plants. Additionally, cats don’t like the smell of strong coffee, so sprinkling some coffee grounds on your lawn or driveway may discourage them from spraying, acting as a gentle, chemical-free deterrent.
5) Repairing furniture dings
Due to the natural colour of coffee and the barely gritty texture of the grounds, they can be used to hide surface scratches on hardwood furniture. Old coffee grounds can be combined with a tiny amount of olive oil and gently massaged over the scrape with a tiny piece of cloth or cotton wool. Repeat if necessary, then wipe clean after 5 to 10 minutes.
6) Strong scents can be absorbed by used coffee grounds
Because they are so absorbent, fresh coffee grinds might spoil in your refrigerator if they aren’t sealed. However, these absorbent qualities also have the capacity to absorb offensive odours. Your refrigerator’s open container of used, dried coffee grinds will aid in preventing smells.
7) Fuel from coffee grounds
Coffee grounds may be compressed into fuel for fireplaces and wood burners, and there are even instructions for making your own fuel pellets at home using the grounds.
In the effort to turn spent coffee grounds into clean biofuel that can be used to produce sustainable power, Bio-bean is a pioneer. This might eventually offer a sizeable new source of environmentally friendly energy as well as a way to use the 500,000 tonnes of used coffee grounds produced annually in the UK.
8) Treat dark circles beneath the eyes and exfoliate your skin
A variety of skin advantages can be derived from coffee grounds. They are rich in antioxidants and caffeine, which helps delay ageing and lessen dark circles under the eyes. Due to its anti-inflammatory effects and ability to promote blood flow, caffeine can lessen edoema and dark circles under the eyes. Coffee’s antioxidants combat free radicals, which speed up the ageing process of the skin. Apply a paste made from coffee grounds, water, or coconut oil under the eyes, wait 10 minutes, then rinse.
Furthermore, coffee grounds work well as an exfoliator to remove debris and dead skin cells from the skin. Coffee grounds can be combined with water or coconut oil to make a scrub for the body and face. Combine with a tiny amount of honey to make a lip scrub.
In addition, caffeine in coffee grounds has strong antioxidant capabilities that can shield skin from UV damage and boost blood flow, boosting overall skin health. A quick technique to get healthy, radiant skin is to incorporate coffee grounds into your skincare regimen.
8 Uses For Used Coffee Grounds That You Never Knew About
As a result…
Used coffee grinds can be put to a variety of useful and environmentally friendly uses. Coffee grounds can be used to cultivate mushrooms or composted. So keep the coffee grinds the next time you brew coffee!
You can feel good about your purchase since our premium coffee beans are sustainably sourced and expertly roasted. As a result, our coffee is not only delicious but also good for the environment. Additionally, you can recycle our packaging once you’ve finished drinking your coffee and used it in the garden. Put it to the test!
Read this article ‘How to use coffee grounds for plants’ on Gardeners World website.
Drop us a message to our team at Coffee Time Scotland, we would be happy to hear from you.
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