Here’s a morning wake-up call for you: Americans drink 2-3 cups of coffee every day. That’s about 400 million cups of coffee! And all those leftover coffee grounds have to go somewhere. Why not put them to good use by recycling them?
Today is America Recycles Day, and we’re celebrating by sharing some ways you can recycle your Royal Cup coffee grounds. Here are our favorites, in no particular order:
1. Sprinkle Coffee Grounds in Your Garden
Coffee grounds are rich in antioxidants and other nutrients, and those components don’t disappear when those grounds are brewed to make your coffee. Take your leftovers and treat your garden to a natural fertilizer. Sprinkle them in flower beds, around bushes and fruit trees, and in your potted plants, then work them into the soil so the plants can absorb them.
2. Add Coffee Grounds to Compost
If you have a compost pile, coffee grounds make the perfect addition. And if you don’t have a compost pile, America Recycles Day is a great time to start one! Any natural food product can go into a compost heap, which will later become rich fertilizer that you can use to grow plants and food. Specifically, spent coffee grounds contribute nitrogen to your compost, an essential nutrient that will help plants produce protein and amino acids.
3. Turn Coffee Grounds into a Body Scrub
Feeling like a little self-care? Coffee grounds, coconut oil, and a little sugar are all you need to make a delightful homemade body scrub. Melt the coconut oil, then stir it into your coffee grounds. For a finer feeling, add some sugar to the mix and apply it to the skin. Coffee is a natural exfoliator that will remove dead skin and leave you feeling rejuvenated.
4. Freshen Your Home’s Air with Bowls of Coffee Grounds
When foul smells invade your home and won’t go away, coffee makes an excellent natural air freshener. Add some grounds to a bowl, spray with water, then leave it alone overnight. The coffee will absorb bad smells that you can toss out with the garbage.
5. Use Coffee Grounds as a Natural Dye
Coffee grounds lose a lot of their color and flavor after the first use. But if you need dark-colored dye, used coffee grounds make the perfect option. Use coffee to dye Easter eggs, paper, clothing, or other crafts projects. It’s cheap and effective, plus it doesn’t expose you to dangerous chemicals.
6. Naturally Repel Bugs and Insects with Leftover Coffee
Caffeine and diterpenes in coffee can be toxic to bugs. Sprinkle some around the outside of your home and around seating areas to keep bugs and insects at bay.
How Royal Cup Protects America’s Future
Royal Cup is committed to a more sustainable future for all. We’re helping the cause by showcasing ways our Royal Cup customers can become greener and help out too.. Check out our sustainability initiatives and do your part to give back to our planet.
