Ever wondered what you can do with your used coffee grounds, rather than just putting them in the food bin?
Whilst we try to collect as much of our customer's used Eco Coffee grounds as possible, sometimes it's just not feasible to do so.
... So here's some things to do which will mean your Eco Coffee is still completely climate positive!
Gardening
Gardening
Composting
Composting with coffee is a great way to make use of something that would otherwise end up taking up space in a landfill. Composting coffee grounds helps to add nitrogen to your compost pile. Despite their colour, for the purposes of composting they’re a ‘green’, or nitrogen-rich organic material. Make sure to balance them with enough ‘browns’ – carbon-rich materials such as dried leaves, woody prunings or newspaper. Your compost heap’s tiny munchers and gnawers will process and mix them effectively, so using coffee grounds in this way is widely accepted to be safe and beneficial.
Gardening
Pest Control
Coffee grounds can also protect your plants from pests like slugs and snails. The grounds are abrasive, meaning these pests won’t like crawling over them to get to your tasty plants. Some gardeners swear by coffee grounds as a cat repellent. If you often have cats digging around in your plants or using your garden as a litter box, you may want to consider adding coffee grounds to the soil.
Gardening
Plants
The plants that like coffee grounds include roses, blueberries, azaleas, carrots, radishes, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, cabbage, lilies, and hollies. These are all acid-loving plants that grow best in acidic soil. You’ll want to avoid using coffee grounds on plants like tomatoes, clovers, and alfalfa. When in doubt, it’s probably safer to put your used coffee grounds in the compost bin
Skincare
Skincare
Exfoliant (pt 1)
Left-over coffee grinds have natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can rejuvenate and refresh your skin. The coarse nature of coffee grinds means that it can be used as an exfoliant and can lead to a brighter skin complexion, reduction in fine wrinkles and puffy eyes. We recommend using coffee grinds that are relatively fresh - store them in your fridge in an air-tight container for up to a day. Leaving moist coffee grounds in open air will gradually lead to mould and bacteria growth on the coffee grounds.
Skincare
Exfoliant (pt 2)
How to make your own DIY coffee scrub: Brew a wonderful cup of Eco Coffee, Enjoy... then get your used grounds and combine with coconut oil. You can also use olive oil, or avocado oil. Leave on for 7-10 minutes Give the mixture time to seep into your skin, delivering nutrients and absorbing toxins. Rinse thoroughly Remove the coffee scrub with lukewarm water, and pat dry. Moisturise For best results, make sure to moisturise afterwards.
Skincare
Coffee Face Mask
Eliminate toxins on your skin with this soothing coffee mask. Ingredients: 1 tbs of fine ground coffee 2 tbs of yogurt 1 tbs honey Directions: An espresso grind or turkish ground coffee is best for this - the smaller grinds will spread more evenly on your face. Mix together and apply a light coat to your face and neck. Leave on for 5-10 minutes, gently remove with a warm damp towel or in the shower.
Home
Home
Scratch Repairs
Various products can help minimize the appearance of scratches, but before you run to the store, you might want to give coffee grounds a try. First, make a thick paste with used coffee grounds and water. Then rub the paste into the scratch using a cotton swab, allow it to sit for 5–10 minutes and then wipe with a cotton rag. This should help buff out the scratch and conceal it by dying the exposed wood a dark-brown color. Continue to dab coffee into the scratch using a cotton swab until the desired color is achieved, waiting a few hours between applications.
Home
Odour Neutraliser
You can place a bowl of coffee grounds in your fridge or freezer to neutralize odors from spoiled or fragrant foods. You can also fill old socks or pantyhose with coffee grounds and tie them off to make portable air fresheners. Place these in your shoes, gym bag, bedroom drawers, under your car seat or anywhere else that may need some deodorizing. You can even keep coffee grounds by the sink and use them to scrub your hands after chopping garlic or onions. The grounds will help remove the smell from your hands.
Home
Pet Flea Remover
There are several flea-removal products on the market, but many contain harsh chemicals and can produce unwanted side effects. Luckily, fleas don’t seem to like coffee, and you may want to consider coffee grounds as a natural treatment. Simply rub the grounds throughout your pet’s fur after shampooing. Then rinse them off and allow your pet to dry as usual. However, coffee grounds may be less effective than a prescription product, so if your pet has fleas and this treatment does not work, you may want to contact a vet to discuss alternative options. Also, coffee grounds should only be used externally. They can be toxic to dogs if consumed.
Accreditations:
Gardening – https://coffeeaffection.com/what-plants-like-coffee-grounds/
Skincare – https://espressocoffeeguide.com/all-about-coffee-2/coffee-scrub/
Home – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/uses-for-coffee-grounds#TOC_TITLE_HDR_5
