Great Ways to Recycle Used Coffee Grounds and Save

Great Ways to Recycle Coffee Grounds and Save

The Web is a great place to find information. I found a plethora of information on how to recycle used coffee grounds, some were a bit wacky and unpractical for the busy person, but if you are a stay at home mom, dad or retired person, then you may find some great use for coffee grounds out there. Here are some of the ones, that I would most likely use or know someone who has used them. Enjoy!


1. Indoor House Plant Fertilizer - Mix coffee grounds with enough water to provide your houseplants with an "nutrient & caffeine rich" drink. Plants need the nutrients & caffeine compounds found in coffee grounds, including nitrogen and potassium, both common ingredients in store-bought fertilizer.

2. Outdoor Plant Fertilizer - Sprinkle used grounds on your outdoor plants, you may want to mix into the top soil for better absorption. Coffee grounds are highly recommended for acid loving plants, such as azaleas, laurels and rhododendron.

3. Natural Insect Repellant - Sprinkle a ring of used grounds around a tree or plantings to deter ants.


4. All-around Kitchen Helper - Use to scrub gunk off surfaces such as grills and greasy pans. Use wet or dry grounds.

5. Strong Smell Remover - Use to scrub strong odors such as fish, garlic and onion, from your hands.

7. Air Freshener - Keep some dry and freshly ground coffee in a small bowl in the bathroom.

8. Compost - Coffee grounds are a great addition to any compost pile. Just throw them into your compost bin, filter and all (use unbleached paper filters if you must use a paper filter)


9. Art Project - For a natural dye, you can use left over coffee and coffee grounds to stain yarn, and fabrics. I used coffee to stain white appliqués and made them look antique-pearl.

10. Going fishing? Keep your worms happy in a container with moist, used coffee grounds.

11. Deororizing the Fridge - Used coffee grounds are very effective for deodorizing the refrigerator. Just put them along with the filter into a bowl and place on a shelf. Works for even the strongest odors.

12. Anti-Slip for Icy Steps - I use damp (not too wet) used coffee grounds on my icy steps and sidewalks. The damp grounds stick to the ice, creating a safer surface for walking. There is no damage to the wood deck or sidewalks.

For the best micro-roasted coffee, shop at Split Bean Coffee.