As consumers we have all become more conscious. We care about where our products and coffees are sourced from and what happens after we’ve used them. Waste is becoming an ever-growing problem. After spending nearly a year at home, we’ve had a lot more time to think about how we can recycle our waste. I’ve never drunk as much coffee at home as I have this year, so there are a lot of coffee grounds that could be put to better use. Why not give these ideas a try?
1. Fertiliser in your garden.
Our soil doesn’t always have essential nutrients plants need. Each year as a plant grows, it takes from the soil but nutrients aren’t always replaced. Hence why most gardeners use fertilizer to give their soil a boast. Ground coffee contains key nutrients that can help plants grow. It also attracts worms which are great for soil. Simply sprinkle the grounds in the soil around your plant. You can even mix 60g of grounds to a spray bottle with warm water to make a fertilizer mist.
2. Compost it!
Before you throw them away, put your used coffee grounds in your compost bin or your food waste. Composting is a great way of creating your own fertilizer. Or, if you don’t compost, it’s a great way to reduce your black bin waste by chucking it in your food bin.
3. Repel insects.
Have you got a plant or veggie patch that keeps getting demolished by a slug or snail? Coffee grounds create a great barrier for protecting them and is less harmful than salt. Simply scatter your coffee grounds around your plants like a border. Snails and slugs don’t like to crawl over it, so it protects your plants as well as adding nutrients to your soil. You can also use it in summer to repel mosquitos or fruit flies by simply putting out small bowls of coffee.
4. Absorb smells
This is my personal favourite; coffee absorbs and eliminates orders. I use this one a lot if there’s something stinky in my fridge (especially around Christmas time). Simply place a bowl of ground coffee in your fridge and leave it to work its magic. This is why you should always keep fresh coffee in a sealed container, so it doesn’t absorb unwanted odours and affect the taste.
Have a go yourself and tell us which is your favourite way is to reuse your coffee grounds.
By Robyn Chamberlain-Webber
Smokin’ Bean Marketing Assistant