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How to Recycle Coffee Grinds

How to Recycle Coffee Grinds

Coffee grinds are an excellent soil improver

The best place for coffee grounds is your garden. Leave the grounds on top as a mulch or dig your coffee grounds into the garden to improve soil texture and drainage.

As coffee grounds break down over several months, they release a number of minerals like potassium and phosphorus as well as nitrogen. 

Plants that like coffee grinds include spinach, carrots, tomatoes, corn, roses and azaleas.



Coffee Grinds are actually incredibly useful and can be used to make a body scrub, as a deodoriser in a container at the back of your fridge or pantry,  an abrasive for cleaning pots or put them in a doubled up old stocking and use as an air freshener. 

Coffee grinds can be readily disposed in your Bokashi Bin, compost or Council Benchtop Bin if you live in Adelaide. If using a coffee filter, toss that in as well.

If you are a cafe or restaurant, in Melbourne, Reground collects grinds and in Brisbane, Mallow Sustainability.


Do you know a recycler of this item who would value being listed? Please let us know


Images: Unsplash - Devin Avery | Jeremy Allouche | Markus Spiske



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Science Notes
Coffee grounds are slightly acidic, but their ph is pretty much neutral once they have been rinsed in the coffee making process.

If you are tossing your spent grounds in the garden, do so for the phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium as they will have little affect on soil ph.  

Related Tip
There is a lot of commentary around regarding the power of coffee grounds to deter snails, cats, rabbits and ants, but I have never had much luck using grounds to scare much at all. If you have any luck, we'd love to hear your story! 

If you don't drink coffee nor have a grinder and want some grinds, go to your local coffee shop - most will give you their leftover grinds.