On our planet we consume about 2.5 billion cups of coffee every day, which leaves a lot of coffee grinds to dispose of! Rather than chucking them in the bin, here are some creative and clever ways you can reuse your coffee grinds at home, or if you have a local café they often give away bags of coffee grinds for free.

1 - Add grinds to your compost
Probably one of the easiest ways to dispose thoughtfully of coffee grinds, adding them to compost makes it nitrogen-rich, which compost needs to help it to break down faster. It also masks some of the more pungent odours in your compost bin. Just don’t add too much as it’s acidic too.

2 - Make a coffee scrub
Coffee smells amazing and makes an incredibly effective and easy DIY coffee scrub. Simply mix one cup of coffee grounds with ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of coconut oil and a natural scent such as vanilla, ground cinnamon or 10 drops of your favourite essential oil. Mix well and use all over your body in the shower for silky-smooth skin. Keep in a clean dry glass jar in the fridge and it should last up to six months. This makes a great cheap and eco-friendly Christmas gift too.

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3 - Use as an insect repellent
Sprinkle coffee grounds around the base of pot plants or in flower beds. It acts as a great deterrent for crawling bugs. Ants, snails and cockroaches in particular dislike the grit and it will prevent them from crawling over the soil. It also acts as a good preventative for cats who like to dig and toilet in your flower beds.

4 - Add it to a worm farm
Coffee is rich in nutrients that worms love, so sprinkle some in your worm farm if you have one. You can sprinkle it directly onto garden beds too for the wild worms.

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5 - Pop it in the fridge
A small container of coffee grounds helps combat any strong odours in your fridge. Similar to bicarb soda, it does a great job of absorbing smells. It also works as a wardrobe deodoriser to help soak up any pongy odours from sneakers.

6 - Use it as a fertiliser
If you want to get more eco-friendly in the garden, sprinkle coffee grounds on top of soil and around vegetables and herbs helps to give them a good nutrient boost. Coffee grounds contain a good amount of the essential nutrient nitrogen as well as some potassium and phosphorus, plus other micronutrients. Sprinkle a light layer and it will act as a slow-release fertiliser on your plants.

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