Can you really do that with coffee?? How to recycle your morning brew.

First of all, recycling indicates there is something left over to "reuse". No one is particularly excited about leaving coffee unconsumed. However, if you should happen to rush out the door and leave a cup or two in the pot, I not only will forgive you, I will help you find a way to use it. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Recycling your morning brew is actually quite fun and easy!

Here are SIX tips I think you will really benefit from.

Tip #1: House Plants/Outdoor Plants

Coffee contains small amounts of nitrogen which is great for plants. You can sprinkle used coffee grounds on the soil OR pour the leftover coffee directly onto the plants.

Although it will not make a HUGE impact, the benefits outweigh throwing the coffee out. 

If you do decide to leftover brew to your plants, be sure the coffee is black with no cream, sugar or other ingredients added. 

Tip #2: Gardening Mulch & Fertilizer

Adding coffee directly to your plants as mulch will help add nutrients and improve aeration, coffee grounds also help keep slugs and snails away from plants. 

You can put them right over the soil as mulch or sprinkle on the soil and lightly rake to mix the grounds into the dirt. 

Tip #3: Composting

Coffee is AMAZING for your compost! 

That's right! If you are a gardener, composting is probably already on your to do list. Toss your coffee grounds into the compost for much added benefits. You can even use the grounds from the single use coffee pods (aka kcups). 

*when I compost, I don't turn the pile right away. I let the wildlife have first crack at the top and then fork it under. 

Tip #4: Reuse the single use cups!!

I found a tool that actually makes this SO simple. The Recycle A Cup allows you to cut off the top safely and pull out the inside of the pod. You can toss the foil top into the recycle and use the coffee grounds in one of the other tips. 

The little cups themselves can then be used as starter pots for seedlings. If you are not a gardener, this tool provides a way to recycle the plastic cup where it would have ended up in a landfill.

Tip #5: Scrub, scrub, scrub!!

There comes a day in your life where tighter, healthier skin becomes an everyday concern. (I know its not just me). It just so happens coffee grounds make a great exfoliating scrub and the caffeine even stimulates the skin cells.

Use a tablespoon or two to coconut oil (like this organic cold pressed coconut oil) mixed with your used coffee grounds during shower using circular motions. 

This is especially great on the back and arms. Just make sure not to scrub too hard to avoid irritating the skin. 

Tip #6: Roast with coffee, yumm!

When I was first starting out on my own, I didn't have a clue how to cook most things. Hell, I still don't - but that's another story. 

What I did learn was that adding a cup of brewed coffee to my beef pot roast would not only tenderize it but help season it as well. 

I may not be able to pull off the most elaborate meals, but with this tip, my pot roast is legendary. Pour in a cup while the meat is roasting (stove or slow cooker) and add in the veggies later. 

Yummmmmy.

I may not have invented any of these ideas, but I do reap the rewards of them. Do me a favor, try one or some of them if you are not already doing so. Pick up the cup cutter tool and put it to use. Either way, let me know how you use your leftover coffee and how you benefit. Send me pics too!!

We can all benefit from additional tips!

Until next time...

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