Food Waste Action Week Monday Tip
Time for Coffee
After drinking your morning coffee, don’t throw away the grounds. They have a multitude of uses, and being in the bin isn't one of them! Below are just a few tips for how you can utilise them outside, in the home and even as part of your skincare routine...
- The Garden
Now that the spring is just around the corner, your garden needs some TLC to get it looking its best after the frosts of winter. Coffee grounds contain a lot of minerals which plants need to grow healthily such as nitrogen, magnesium and potassium. Sprinkle your grounds over your flower beds to give your plants all the nutrients they need to grow big and strong. The coffee grounds will also help to keep slugs away as they don’t like crawling over the gritty texture!
If you don’t have an immediate need for compost, then make a compost heap in your garden and keep adding your coffee grounds to it. The coffee will infuse the compost with rich nutrients so that when you decide to use it on your plants, it will be ready to keep them as healthy as possible.
- Your Skin
Mix your coffee grounds with olive or coconut oil until it forms a spreadable paste, and use as a face and body exfoliant scrub. The coarse grounds will remove any dirt from you skin and the caffeine contains antioxidants which can help prevent sun damage. If you want to make your own lip scrub, then mix the grounds with honey instead and use on your lips to keep them soft.
- Your Kitchen
Coffee grounds are a good natural, non-chemical option for scouring pots and pans. The coarse texture makes them perfect for getting rid of a build-up of grime. Simply add a small amount to a sponge and scrub those pans! The coffee will not only remove any burnt on grease, it will also work as a deodoriser. Just make sure you only use on non-porous materials to avoid staining.
If you are an avid coffee drinker, I recommend Percol coffee, as well as being completely free of plastic, their coffee is organic and handpicked, 100% Fairtrade and freshly roasted in the UK. This way you can enjoy your morning brew guilt-free! You can choose from a range of Percol coffee on the Green Alternatives website in the Food and Drink collection.
Take a look at our Eco Hints and Tips page throughout this week to see more daily advice for reducing your food waste. Make sure you are using #FoodWasteActionWeek and tagging @lfhw_uk in your social media posts to help spread the word and also any useful tips you have come up with to reduce your food waste!