Whether you love coffee or not, once you have it, what’s next? While often seen as just waste, used coffee grounds offer a surprising range of practical and creative uses. No matter their condition, they can be incredibly useful. If you’re aiming to live more sustainably, coffee is a fantastic place to begin.

Let's start with sourcing. You might have an old bag of beans or some seasonal flavored coffee grounds that you never used but couldn’t bring yourself to toss out. If that’s not the case, you can always visit your local coffee shop or farmers market and ask if they have any old coffee grounds they’d be willing to give away.

1. Fabric Dye—Take your leftover brewed coffee of the day. If you don't have quite enough, store it in the fridge and keep adding to it until you have the amount you need. Once you’ve gathered enough, bring the liquid to a boil. When it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and fully submerge your fabric item in the liquid. Black coffee works as a natural dye, infusing the fabric with a rich, warm tone. The longer you leave the fabric in the coffee, the deeper the color will become. Rinse it thoroughly after dyeing and let it dry completely to set the color.
2. Fertilizer—Dilute the leftover coffee with water (use a 1:1 ratio) and use the mixture to water your plants. The diluted coffee adds nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other essential nutrients to the soil, promoting healthier and more robust plant growth.
3. Baking/Cooking

• BBQ sauce—Add leftover coffee to your BBQ sauce recipe for a rich, smoky flavor.
•  Meat—Marinate meat (like beef or pork) in leftover coffee mixed with your favorite spices and herbs.
• Tiramisu—Use leftover coffee to soak the ladyfingers in your tiramisu recipe.
• Brownies—Add leftover coffee to your brownie batter for an enhanced chocolate flavor.
• Ice-Cream—Incorporate leftover coffee into your ice cream base for a coffee-flavored treat.

Unused Coffee Grounds

1. Scrubbing Cleaner —Sprinkle used coffee grounds on surfaces that need scrubbing, and use a sponge to scrub. The grounds provide gentle abrasion, helping to remove stubborn grime and residue while also offering natural deodorizing properties.
2. Fertilizer—Sprinkle used coffee grounds around your plants or mix them into the soil. This enriches the soil with nutrients.
3. Odor Neutralizer—Place used coffee grounds in a small bowl and set it in areas where you want to neutralize odors, like the refrigerator or a closet. The grounds naturally absorb and eliminate unpleasant smells, leaving the space fresher without the need for chemical deodorizers.
4. Cat Repellent (But why would you want to???)—Sprinkle used coffee grounds around areas where you want to repel cats. For extra effectiveness, mix them with citrus peels, as the combination of the coffee scent and citrus oils creates a natural deterrent that cats find unpleasant.
5. Christmas Ornaments—Mix used coffee grounds with a small amount of glue and water to form a dough.  Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.  Make a hole at the top for the ribbon.  Let the ornaments dry completely before adding the ribbon.
6. Bug Repellant—Place used coffee grounds on a piece of aluminum foil and burn them like incense to repel bugs. The strong aroma and smoke produced by the smoldering coffee grounds act as a natural insect repellent, helping to keep mosquitoes and other pests at bay.
7. Body Scrub—Mix used coffee grounds with a carrier oil, like coconut or olive oil, to form a paste. Use this mixture as a body scrub in the shower for exfoliation. The coffee grounds gently remove dead skin cells, while the oil moisturizes, leaving your skin smooth and rejuvenated. Plus, the caffeine in the coffee may help improve circulation and reduce the appearance of cellulite.
8. Hair Treatment—Massage used coffee grounds into your scalp before shampooing to exfoliate, remove product buildup, and stimulate hair growth. The grounds help to increase blood circulation to the scalp, which can promote healthier, stronger hair. Rinse thoroughly and follow with your regular shampoo to ensure all the grounds are washed out.
9. Face Mask—Mix used coffee grounds with honey or yogurt to form a thick paste. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. The coffee grounds exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, while honey or yogurt provides hydration and soothing benefits. Rinse off with warm water to reveal smoother, refreshed skin.

This blog was written by Markedra Mann.