How to Recycle Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds cannot be recycled in any traditional sense, but you can reuse them around your house and garden. Coffee grounds contain nutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Sulfur that can serve a variety of purposes in your garden. The dark color and gritty texture of the grounds can also help around the kitchen.

How to Recycle and Repurpose Coffee Grounds

Gardening Mulch

Coffee grounds work well as plant mulch on their own or mixed into a compost. To use them on their own, let the grounds dry out for a day and blend them gently into the soil before you plant a new plant. You can also mix the grounds with crushed egg shells and blend them into the soil of existing plants.

Liquid Fertilizer

You can harvest the nutrients in coffee grounds into a liquid fertilizer. To make the fertilizer, pour several cups of water over the grounds and let them sit for a couple of days. Use a strainer to remove the coffee grounds from the liquid and pour the liquid into a spray bottle. You can spray the fertilizer directly onto the roots or leaves of the plants.

Insect Repellant

The strong scent and unpleasant taste of coffee grounds repel insects, especially carpenter ants, from outdoor plants. To use, allow the coffee grounds to dry out for a day and then create a circle around the base of the plant. You will need to repeat this after every heavy rainfall and in the spring.

Odor Absorber

Coffee grounds absorb odors in the air and work well in the kitchen and around trash cans. To combat a sudden odor, lay the grounds in a shallow bowl and place them on a countertop in your kitchen or bathroom. The grounds will remove the smell in a few hours. You can also dry out the coffee grounds and pour them into an old pair of hose or stockings. Tie off one end of the stocking to make a pouch and place it in the bottom of the trash can, inside the pantry or in the refrigerator. The pouch will suck up odors for up to a month.

Hand Cleaner

Coffee grinds act as a chemical free cleanser and can remove tough smells like onion and garlic from your hands and the grinds act as an exfoliate for your skin. To use, wet your hands and place a tablespoon of coffee grounds in the cup of your hand. Rub the grounds across your hands and fingers for 30 seconds, rinse the grounds off and wash your hands with a liquid soap.

Stain

The dark color of coffee grounds can work as a stain for wood furniture or cabinets. Rub freshly used coffee grinds in gentle circular motions across the wood surface and wipe clean with a cloth. The grinds will leave behind a dark cherry color on the wood surface. Great for touching up scratches in wood.

Composting With Coffee Grounds, Lenawee County Solid Waste Department.