This week I'm sharing fun and creative ways to reuse your coffee leftovers naturally.
Hello there, Fellow Wanderers,
This week’s blog is a follow on from “My love affair with coffee”, blog last week, as you now know the journey has been a long one to responsibly establish the Wild & Bean coffee, its truly a happy passion. Now that we have shared the deliciousness of the coffee and all it has to offer in diversity, I would like to chat about the other side of your cuppa, the leftovers.
Often, we take the time to lovingly brew out favourite cup and relish the first sip, not much thought is given to either the left-over pods or grinds, most are unceremoniously dumped in a bin without a blink of the eye. A whopping 576,000 metric tons of waste is attributed to capsule waste each year, so how can we go about changing our own coffee footprint to being more eco conscious...
By buying locally and investing in your own community.
Considering the labels carefully and opting for organic coffee.
Supporting coffee brands that support fair trade.
Skipping the plastic take away cup and either brewing at home or using your own eco-friendly take away cup. Many coffee shops support the bringing of your own cup or sell reusable/eco-friendly cups.
Swopping to both reusable and biodegradable coffee filters and compostable pods.
Alternatively considering a French Press to prepare your coffee, this means a pass on both filters and pods.
Throwing away your coffee grounds, although they may decompose, still adds to the coffee footprint in waste sites. Why not consider reusing them, there are so many benefits to these grounds that simply adding them to the waste pile is unnecessary.
Composting is a great way to recycle organic waste and keep your garden healthy, coffee grounds make an excellent compost material and work as fertilizer, helping to decrease pathogens and improve pH balance. These grounds can improve soil structure, increase the acidity level of soil, add nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil. Additionally, coffee contains antioxidants that can help protect plants from diseases and pests. However, it's important to remember that coffee should be used in moderation, as too much can harm your plants.
If you are looking for a great fertilizer, use your old coffee grounds for growing plants like roses, tomatoes, and peppers. You can also use them as mulch around shrubs, trees, and vegetables. A layer of coffee grounds will help keep moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from growing. For best results, use composted grounds instead of fresh ones when planting seeds or transplanting seedlings because it will take longer for them to break down into nutrients for your plants.
Another gardening alternative is to add your leftover grounds to leaves when raking up in your garden. The grounds will help keep weeds down while adding a little extra nitrogen to the soil. Just be sure not to use too many grounds at once and sprinkle around to avoid clumping.
I have mindfully made a habit of dividing my grounds into 2 different containers, one for the garden and cleaning, one for me. As much as I love the easy way coffee grounds help clean a stubborn pot, or remove the egg smell from your frying pan, or act as a natural insect repellent, I truly love making my own natural products with them. We are all very much aware of the benefits of adding coffee to soaps or scrubs, thanks to the natural beauty industry, so why not give it a try at home.
Here a few ideas:
Create an exfoliating face mask:
Mix 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds and 1 tablespoon of organic honey together.
Alternatively for a smooth skin, mix your coffee grounds powder in equal quantities with Allow Vera Gel.
Apply either mask and relax for 5 - 7 minutes, gently rinse off with warm water and moisturize.
Please be mindful of your own skin sensitivities or allergens.
Here is a simple recipe for making coffee scrub:
Mix 1/2 cup of coffee grounds with 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
Add 1/4 cup of coconut oil to the mixture and stir well.
Apply the scrub to your skin in circular motions and rinse off with warm water.
My personal favourite is a coffee soap, they can be found in all the bathrooms of my home. If you have a free moment, try this:
Purchase a bar of melt and pour soap, either natural or in your favourite fragrance, I prefer natural lemon or cinnamon.
Dry your leftover coffee grounds in the sun.
Cut your soap bar into small pieces and melt either in a double boiler or in a glass mixing bowl in the microwave.
Be sure to stir frequently.
Once your soap is liquid, add the coffee grounds and stir evenly.
Place in moulds and allow to set.
Pop out and admire your handiwork.
Enjoy the exfoliating and invigorating benefits of coffee, please remember to scrub gently. If masking and scrubbing is not for you, why not try your hand at delicious, coffee cubes and an iced coffee.Simply pour your leftover cold coffee into ice trays and freeze, these can then be added to a glass, covered with some fresh hot coffee and the result is your own moreish cup of iced coffee.
For those with a creative adventurous side…why not try your hand at fabric dying with coffee:
To dye clothes with coffee, you will need to brew a strong pot of coffee using either leftover grounds or reheated leftover coffee and let it cool. Soak the clothes in the coffee for several hours or overnight, depending on how dark you want the colour to be. Rinse the clothes with cold water until the water runs clear, then hang them to dry. Keep in mind that the colour may not be completely even, and it is best to use natural fabrics like cotton or linen for best results. If you have little ones, it’s a lovely way to recolour old white t-shirts together.
I hope this week’s blog trip has inspired you to look at your coffee leftovers in a fresh way. Over the next few weeks, I will be popping more tips, tricks, and recipes for you to use both with fresh and leftover coffee. Feel free to drop me a Dm about your favourite coffee ideas.
Take care,
Gwen
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