Producing as little waste as possible, using things and products to the maximum - these are the basic principles of an environmentally friendly lifestyle, which more and more people on the planet are trying to adhere to.
And the coffee grounds (coffee pulp, spent coffee), everything that remains at the bottom of your coffee maker, in the coffee filter, in the tank of the coffee machine, at the bottom of the cup, is in this sense a unique product. It can be reused for a variety of purposes - from home cosmetics to industrial energy.
What does the business do?
Today, many areas of business are entering an era of transition from a linear to a circular economy. And what was previously considered as waste becomes raw material for creating new products.
Coffee grounds are no exception. Here are some interesting examples.
Dishes made from coffee grounds
Designer Julian Lechner, as a result of lengthy research, managed to create a durable and strong material from recycled coffee grounds. Now the Berlin company Kaffeform, founded by him, produces coffee cups, glasses and saucers from this material.
Local coffee shops provide coffee grounds to create original tableware.
The grounds from just six coffee servings are enough to make one new coffee cup.
31 Dec 2021 at 7:00 PST
Coffee sneakers
German company nat-2, which has been making sustainable footwear for more than a decade, last year launched a line of sneakers made from coffee beans and recycled plastic. The sneakers are 100% vegan.
Half of the shoe's upper is made from a coffee-ground-based material, while the rest, a suede-like material, is made from recycled PET bottles.
The soles of the sneakers are made of real rubber, and the soft antibacterial insoles are made of cork. The glue also does not contain any components of animal origin.
Coffee fuel
Bio-Bean is the UK's largest coffee grounds processing company. Coffee waste collected from many enterprises is industrially processed into valuable raw materials.
Thus, Coffee Logs fuel briquettes for home use can completely replace fossil fuels and woody biomass. They burn longer and produce more heat than wood.
Bio-Bean also makes natural flavors, the essential oils for which are obtained from coffee grounds.
Sportswear fabric
S.Café ®, a textile manufacturer in Taiwan, uses coffee grounds to create high-tech sportswear. Coffee grounds are embedded on the surface of the yarn, changing the characteristics of the yarn.
S. Café ® coffee base absorbs sweat odors 3 times better than cotton.
In addition, clothes made from S.Café ® textiles dry much faster than cotton items and reflect ultraviolet rays!
Raw materials for production are provided by local coffee shops.
For self-care
You can create various cosmetic products at home using coffee grounds.
Coffee scrub
Due to the small abrasive particles, it easily copes with the removal of the stratum corneum without causing harm to it. And combined with a pleasant aroma it can become a real spa treatment.
The cake can be used either by itself or mixed with other ingredients. For example, with honey or various oils. Honey will add vitamins and antiseptic properties to the scrub. Coffee and honey scrub is more effective for cleaning skin pores. And vegetable oils will help moisturize the skin.
Using this scrub just 2-3 times a week to massage problem areas can help get rid of cellulite.
Always keep in mind that you should not use the scrub on irritated, injured or inflamed skin. Do not exfoliate your face at home. Delicate skin is easily damaged.
Mask for the face
Coffee perfectly tones and tightens the skin, restores the water balance of the epidermis. Therefore, it can be used to prepare a mask.
Here is one recipe for a homemade mask: mix two tablespoons of finely ground coffee with banana pulp and a tablespoon of cream.
The resulting mass is distributed over the face and left for 15-20 minutes.
Due to the content of essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine in bananas, this mask will provide a lifting effect, and cream will enhance its moisturizing effect.
Hair Mask
Coffee grounds have the same effect on the scalp as on the skin of the face and hands - it renews cells and improves blood circulation.
A coffee mask gives hair shine and a light coffee tint.
To make the mask as beneficial as possible, coffee cake is mixed with olive, castor or coconut oil - there are no restrictions, it all depends on your imagination and hair characteristics.
The mixture is applied to the entire length of the hair and scalp. Then the hair is covered with film and wrapped in a towel. After 30 minutes, the mask can be washed off.
Conditioner for colored hair
To maintain the color of dyed hair, coffee grounds can be added directly to the shampoo. Or apply it to your hair after washing your hair for 10-15 minutes.
This procedure will prolong the color saturation, thanks to the oils contained in coffee - they will slightly tint the hair. Of course, it is impossible to completely dye your hair with coffee grounds.
For dark circles under the eyes
Coffee under the eyes is a fairly quick and simple folk remedy that really solves the problem of dark circles.
Extra-fine coffee grounds will help cope with dark circles and puffiness of the eyelids. Caffeine has a tonic effect, neutralizes the effects of free radicals, and therefore slows down the aging process of the skin and reduces age-related manifestations.
A small amount of water is added to the thicket and applied in a thin layer to a bandage folded several times. The fabric is applied to the lower eyelids so that the coffee layer is on the outside and does not come into contact with the eyes. Exposure time is no more than 30 minutes. Afterwards, you need to let the skin dry naturally and apply skincare cosmetics (nourishing eyelid cream is suitable).
For home needs
Coffee grounds can be used in many ways in everyday life.
Kitchen freshener
Coffee cake perfectly absorbs all odors, including in the refrigerator or oven. Place a bowl of coffee grounds there and in just a few hours the unpleasant odors will disappear.
It can also be used as a hand freshener after chopping onions, garlic or other products with pungent odors. Just rub your hands with coffee grounds.
Dishwashing liquid
To remove stubborn grease from dishes, you can add coffee grounds to the detergent.
But you should be careful - white plates can become covered with a brownish coating over time, and the coarse structure of coffee grounds can damage the non-stick coating.
Removing scratches from wooden furniture
Scratches on dark furniture can be hidden using finely ground coffee grounds.
Take some coffee, mix it with vegetable oil and use a cotton swab to gently rub the mixture into the scratch.
Anti-slip agent for outdoor use
If you live in a country house and drink a lot of coffee, do not throw away the coffee cake, but stock up on it for the winter. You can sprinkle coffee grounds on the paths when ice appears on them. The effect will be no worse than from sand.
How to use against wasp and fly infestations
You can scare away wasps if you pour a handful of ground coffee into a heat-resistant container, set it on fire, and then put it out.
Annoying insects cause discomfort by staying not only on the site, but also by flying into the house. They will leave these places if you set fire to the cake in the places where they accumulate. The second method is to place tin cans around the perimeter of the area where the wasp nest was found, pouring a mixture of cake and saltpeter into them (10 g of saltpeter per 200 g of powder). Next, you need to set the mixture on fire, it burns at an average pace. The procedure is carried out with caution; do not inhale the combustion products of nitrate - they irritate the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. This fumigation is done infrequently, the effect lasts for 2 weeks.
For creativity
Aging of paper
Using coffee grounds, you can add a vintage look to paper gift wrapping and age photographs and letters.
Lightly rub the area you want to darken with it so as not to spoil the paper, and you will definitely like the result.
Fabric dyeing
Coffee is a natural dye and there are several ways to dye fabric with it. Coffee grounds are also good for this.
Add a spoonful of water to a glass of coffee grounds, stir, then distribute the resulting paste on the surface of a clean, wet cloth and rub it over it. After drying, remove the grounds with a brush or shake them off.
True, it is difficult to predict what color it will turn out to be, and cleaning after such coloring will require quite a bit.
But this life hack will help you update your faded brown items.
Egg coloring
You can take advantage of the coloring properties of coffee grounds in preparation for Easter.
To color eggs, dilute one or two cups of coffee grounds in a liter of water. Boil washed eggs (it is better to choose white ones) in the resulting liquid. Cool the eggs and place them back into the coffee grounds to get a richer color. And to add texture to the color, you can also rub the eggs with coffee grounds.
Filler for toys
Dry coffee cake can serve as a rather interesting filler for homemade fabric toys. They turn out rustling and pleasant to the touch, children like them, and playing with them calms their nerves.
Coffee grounds paintings
Surely you know about sand paintings. Why not try creating a painting from coffee grounds?
Outline the future design on thick paper or fabric, treat the surface with glue where necessary. Pour coffee grounds onto the glue and spread gently. The glue will dry and the painting is ready.
For garden
Repelling insects
If you scatter dried coffee cake on flowerbeds and beds, its aroma will repel ants and slugs.
But do not spread the cake in a dense layer, otherwise after the first rains it will turn into a crust and make it difficult for moisture to penetrate the soil. Although for some plants this may be a plus.
Fertilize the soil
The beneficial substances that remain in the grounds after brewing coffee make it a valuable fertilizer. However, due to its high acidity, it is not suitable for all plants. Therefore, if you decide to use coffee grounds to feed plants, you should understand this issue in more detail.
In addition, sleeping coffee is a good addition to the diet of California compost-producing worms and simple garden worms, which loosen the soil, saturating it with air and increasing the availability of moisture.
Use Cases
The grounds can be used in several ways. It should not contain sugar, milk, other additives, have signs of mold, or have an unpleasant odor.
Mulching
The easiest way to use coffee cake in the garden is to add it to the soil. You can mix it with the top layer of soil and use it as a substrate for planted flowers. The content of grounds in such a mixture should be no more than 20-25%.
Fresh grounds can be immediately scattered around the plants by mixing them with soil. You can dry it and use it in the garden at any time as mulch.
Garden crops need nitrogen to help them absorb certain nutrients faster. Unfortunately, the soil is sometimes poor in this element. Coffee can help, there is a lot of nitrogen in the grounds and it is not released very quickly. For this reason, it is recommended to use coffee mulch before watering or rain, sprinkling the grounds on flowers or bushes, and then wetting the soil. During evaporation, the plants will receive the desired ingredient.
Attention! It is advisable to cover the thicket with pine bark or other mulch on top, because it is light and sometimes blown away by the wind.
The grounds are also suitable for mulching indoor flowers in pots. However, it is necessary to mix it with the top layer of soil, otherwise it will quickly become moldy and become unusable.
For watering
Coffee grounds are also a good source of nutrients as garden fertilizer. Water with grounds is well suited for watering garden crops. It contains many minerals, including magnesium and phosphorus. You just need to remember to maintain proportions, because flowers and bushes do not need to be filled with coffee suspension.
Infusion proportions for indoor and garden plants:
- For garden plants. Dilute 1 cup of grounds per 20 liters of water. This infusion can be used to water acidophilic crops every 7-14 days.
- For potted flowers - lovers of acidic or slightly acidic substrate, a similar coffee infusion can be prepared by pouring a tablespoon of grounds into 0.5 liters of water. After mixing the grounds with water, wait until they swell. When this happens, you can water the flowers with the mixture.
