"EMPTY THE COFFEE GROUNDS CONTAINER": this message appears every few cups on your coffee machine's screen, and you feel like it's always your fault, that you've once again pressed the wrong buttons at the wrong time... The same goes for when the machine asks you to "FILL THE TANK" or "DESCALE." Or when you choose a line, obviously the slowest one, at the supermarket checkout. The famous "Why always me?" phenomenon...
75% of the pomace would end up in landfill
These figures are worth what they are worth, but they are difficult to verify: 7 million tons of coffee grounds are produced each year worldwide, and three-quarters of this production is thrown away. Coffee grounds straight from the machine to the trash bag? Wrong, wasteful! There is also the issue of pollution and negative impact on the climate, as coffee grounds that end up in landfills damage the soil over time and release a greenhouse gas that is much more harmful than carbon dioxide, the gas primarily responsible for global warming.
One rule: don't throw away coffee grounds. This product is actually a real gold mine. It can be recycled in many ways, in a wide variety of areas.
Gardening, cosmetics, home maintenance, cooking, etc.
Coffee drinkers who recycle their grounds mainly use them in the garden, primarily in their compost. The grounds promote activity and accelerate the decomposition of organic waste.
In the bathroom, pure or mixed with other natural ingredients (olive oil, egg white, milk, lemon juice), brown gold can be used as a body scrub (very effective against cellulite), a concealer, a conditioner (it also promotes hair growth, smoothes, detangles and adds shine), an acne treatment, or a soap for cleaning very dirty hands (grease, grime and other hard-to-remove stains
).
There are also many possible uses in the home. Coffee grounds can be used to clean kitchen utensils, grills, sinks, and countertops. They have powerful degreasing properties and can replace traditional dishwashing liquid. Coffee grounds can also be used to restore blackened pots and pans to their former glory. It cleans floors, removes stubborn stains from furniture, polishes scratches and erases marks on wood, and can be used to give it an aged look. Coffee grounds are also effective at reviving colors on carpets and even treating frozen sidewalks, replacing snow removal salt (which is not very environmentally friendly).
In cooking, marc is a good way to tenderize meat. And to give it a slight coffee flavor, for those who enjoy it.
Log wood and pellets
The process is still in its infancy, but coffee grounds, converted into combustible pellets, could eventually become an excellent biofuel, a natural and inexpensive alternative to fossil fuels. In the Netherlands, a well-known agri-food factory specializing in tea and coffee uses grounds (converted into logs and pellets) to fuel its biomass boiler, as an
lternative to natural gas. This factory has thus reduced its emissions by 70%.
It smells good... or not!
Let's take a look at the aromatic properties of coffee grounds, which can be recycled in many clever ways. And at the different methods for doing so.
IN THE GARDEN…
Coffee grounds are a natural repellent against caterpillars, snails, slugs, ants, aphids, and other insects that damage plants. Conversely, they attract earthworms, whose movements improve soil quality. How? Sprinkle your coffee grounds at the base of your plants. You can also scatter it along the foundations of your house or patio to keep all these unwanted pests away. And if you sprinkle coffee grounds on the soil around your plants, cats will be less inclined to attack them because they can't stand the smell.
IN COSMETICS...
If you have strong, stubborn odors on your hands and nails after handling garlic, onions, fish, or essential oils, for example, coffee grounds are a remedy for eliminating them. How? When washing, simply replace the soap with coffee grounds, or mix the two products together. Then rinse with cold water.
IN THE HOUSE...
Coffee grounds repel wasps and mosquitoes. How? Burn dry coffee grounds, and they will have the same repellent properties as incense.
Cockroaches, on the other hand, are attracted to the smell of coffee grounds. You can get rid of them. How? Place some coffee grounds in a box and surround it with double-sided tape. The cockroaches will come to it and get trapped.
You can eliminate unpleasant odors from your refrigerator and freezer with brown gold, without resorting to baking soda. How? Place a bowl filled with coffee grounds inside, or several containers on different shelves. It also works if you pour the grounds into a cloth. Coffee absorbs and neutralizes odors. Coffee grounds have the same effect in cupboards, at the bottom of a trash can, and in poorly ventilated and/or damp rooms in the house, such as the laundry room.
If your pipes are clogged and give off an unpleasant odor, coffee grounds are the solution. How? Boil the equivalent of a bowl of coffee grounds in a pot of water and pour the hot mixture into the pipe. Another way to do this is to put coffee grounds in the sink (a good spoonful) and run hot water for two to three minutes. The pipes will be scrubbed clean (thanks to the abrasive power of the coffee grounds) and the bad smells will disappear.
Coffee grounds also eliminate odors from shoes. How? Sprinkle grounds on the insoles and leave for about 12 hours. Shoe cabinets can be treated in the same way.
If your dog has fleas, coffee grounds are a good repellent. How? Add a dose of coffee grounds to their shampoo.
Would you like a subtle coffee aroma in certain rooms of your home? A coffee-scented candle will do the trick. How? Mix coffee grounds into the melted wax when making your candle.
This time, you have no reason to get rid of your brown gold...
Article written by Pierre Danvoye for Cafés Van Hove
