We’re always on the lookout for ways to waste less at home. An easy place to start is with your morning cup of coffee. Did you know that, according to the NRDC, coffee grounds are one of the most commonly thrown-out food items in American households? It’s not that surprising given how much coffee we drink as a country.
While drinking coffee isn’t an issue, used coffee grounds, just like any other food or organic waste, break down in the landfill and produce methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. The good news is that coffee grounds have a lot more value to give us even after the last drops of coffee are gone.
Want to decrease your coffee waste and benefit the environment? Here are some of our favorite tips on how to reuse coffee grounds:
Make Mocha Brownies
Your coffee grounds have more to offer than you might think. In this recipe, melting your butter with spent coffee grounds will imbue the butter with a delicious and aromatic coffee flavor. The addition of your grounds also magically brings out more of the chocolatey flavors hidden in your cocoa powder.
Keep your fridge smelling fresh
Store dried coffee grounds in an open jar anywhere you want to absorb odors. Our friend Joel Gamoran recommends trying this trick for getting rid of fridge odors!
Fertilize acid-loving plants
Add a spoonful of spent coffee grounds every 4-6 weeks to fertilize your indoor house plants.
NOTE: Coffee is acidic, rich in nitrogen, and your grounds may still contain a fair amount of caffeine. All of this can irritate/harm certain plants. Add them in moderation and, when in doubt, double-check online if the plants in question benefit from acidic soil.
Great for gardening
Use them as a natural fertilizer in your garden to improve drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil.
Bye-bye burnt food
Put them to work as an abrasive agent to help scour burnt food off of your pots and pans
Keeps the bugs at bay
Anyone who lives in mosquito country will appreciate this one. Burn your dried grounds outdoors for mosquito repellent.
And if you’ve still got grounds
If you are able to compost through your city compost collection, at your community garden drop-off, or at home, be sure to add your grounds to the mix. They’re rich in nitrogen and can help create fertile soil when they break down. Worms especially love spent coffee grounds.
For even more ideas, check out this fun list of 25 Weird Ways to Use Coffee and Coffee Grounds.
Since over 40% of food waste happens in our homes, we all have the power to make a difference by changing how we shop, store, cook, and dispose of food. Climate action starts at home, and we can all work to take a bite out of food waste. We hope these tips on how to reuse coffee grounds helps you in your effort to waste a little less.
I always compost coffee grounds but don’t usually think of other uses. Thanks for the suggestions.
Hey Julia! That’s great to hear. They make for a potent addition to compost for sure. Let us know how some of these other ideas work out for you. We hope you’re doing well. Thanks for reading our blog!
I like flavored coffee. Can I recycle the flavored coffee the same?
Yes you can! 🥰
Used coffee grounds are an amazing body scrub. Even flavored coffee is great. First thing in the morning shower add this scrub and it wakes you up before u drink your first cup. It’s also great for cellulite as caffeine gets blood flow in those areas moving. Also has anti-aging perks . Plain old grounds and scrub. Be careful on face, it’s safe to use on face just don’t scrub to hard around eyes. Small circular strokes &you’ll be fine. I have also read add ground to a pump of body wash or olive oil for extra moisture. It’s my all time favorite morning treat🥰
We love reusing our coffee grounds this way! Thanks so much for sharing!
You could also soak dried once-used grounds in linseed oil to get a colored stain for wood.
So cool!
I have been using my spent coffee grounds in my garden pots as they keep the squirrels from digging in them!
Thanks. I hadn’t thought of that.
I come across your app by accident, but I’m happy
I did cause I learned a lot. I had no. idea coffee grounds could be used in so many ways. Thankyou
We’re so glad you stumbled across us! 💚
I would not use as a scrub since the grounds will go down the drain. Not good. I think the garden needs them more than my body,
Whatever works best for you 💚
Coffee grounds are great for acid loving plants like blueberries and azaleas but that’s where the benefit ends. There is still caffeine remaining in the grounds which can stunt the growth of some plants and kill others. Also, coffee has anti-bacterial properties which can harm or kill helpful insects. I do often throw some grounds into my hydrangeas which can help them to turn more blue or purple.
I love all the ideas to reuse coffee grounds but I’m wondering if using them in the shower will clog your drain?
Great tip! And minimal amounts of coffee scrubs have never clogged our drain, but we definitely encourage you to check out your own plumbing before trying it yourself 💚
Same here. Came across by accident n learning so much.
I take used coffee grounds and layer them with baking soda in pretty jars………….. looks pretty, and keeps odors down in my training kennel.
Such a great tip!