We had given up drinking brewed coffee at home for awhile now because the brand that we had been drinking for years had deteriorated. We now drink instant coffee because of the convenient and acceptable taste. Having switch to instant coffee the quality of our compost also suffered because it lack one ingredient, coffee ground. I am not sure but it could be psychological because whenever any of my plant don't do well, in the back of my mind I would blame it on the compost not having coffee ground. So I decided to do something about and started asking the local coffee shops for their coffee ground. It was difficult because the coffee grounds are discarded into the thrash bins and I sure do not want to rummage in it to recover the coffee grounds. Some were willing to put it aside but I have to collect it daily at the end of their business day. The distance make it impractical so I am still coffee groundless. I started to google where to get coffee ground and Starbucks came out. At first I wasn't sure it is available here locally because the website is American. Anyway on our next trip into town we dropped by into one of the 4 outlets and "Voila" Happiness, we went to all the outlets and got lots off coffee grounds. With all the coffee grounds we collected I managed to mulch the grow beds and pots with plants and also add in to the compost The whole garden had a very pleasant smell of Starbucks coffee for awhile. We are still collecting coffee ground from Starbucks whenever we need them. Thank You Starbucks!
More coffee houses should do this. It saves the grounds going to waste and it help gardeners into the bargain. One question though - do you have to pay for the coffee grounds or are they free?
Here in the USA Starbucks gives the coffee grounds away for free. We don't have a Starbucks within 25 miles, but there is a Dairy Queen that I pass weekly on my way back from town. I stopped in and asked if I left a 5 gallon pail with a lid if they would put their grounds in it and I'd pick it up each week. I now have two 5 gal. pails with "coffee grounds only, please" painted on them. I pick up the full one and drop off the cleaned empty one. KK, you are so right--coffee grounds really help compost!
I tend to create my own coffee grounds....I like coffee. So I have several containers of them for the compost or for putting on plants. Our local Starbucks used to have bags of grounds by the door for customers to take with them but they stopped doing it. I have gone to a friendlier and more local coffee shop to get them....but I can't keep up with my own so I don't stop by anymore.
wonderful KK. I don't drink starbucks, but coffee grounds from them would be very welcome, so I understand your joy. yay!
Jerry I had just started using the compost with Starbucks coffee ground, will be able to see some results in 2.5~3months from now. Fully agreed with you Eileen and no I don't have to pay anything for it. Thanks Netty, I do think so too! It is nice of Dairy Queen to keep the coffee ground for you, Marlingardener. Yes I do think so it makes a different. Those days are gone for me now Toni, a good cup of locally ground coffee is always more yummy than instant. Sometimes when we are in town, we would get ourselves a cuppa of locally ground coffee Carolyn I only drink Starbucks when someone treat me because it cost a fortune here! Yes their coffee ground is great!!!
it cost a fortune here too and I don't think it is very good... I have other brands I prefer. we have one vendor at my market that roasts coffee... it is fabulous. after having his I refer to starbucks as charbucks, but it makes very good compost.
Oh my goodness....stay out of my head would ya...lol!! I was just thinking this same thing yesterday. We too have given up the pot and now I'm missing the coffee grounds...lol. I haveven people who use grounds when I'm ready...oh geezzz just thought about the Keurig at work..coffee grounds yes!!!!
My hairdressing salon has a "perpetual pot of coffee" going for customers. I asked that, if I brought in a container, would they please dump the grounds in it and I'd pick it up weekly. Yes, they would, but then they told other customers about the coffee grounds/compost/nitrogen for plants, and now I'm lucky to get any grounds at all. I should have known that a hair salon is a hotbed of information!
LOL !! Thats the worst place in the world to give good information. Everyone in town will now be looking for coffee grounds. Two days tops before it gets back to you. Beauty salons are better, faster and more reliable than the telephone for information.
Hi all! I have been getting coffee grounds from the local coffee cafe for several years now. I have though wondered if you can have too much of a good thing? If the grounds aren't mixed with enough other compost material or soil they can make an inpenetrable surface that sluffs off water. Kind of like peat moss. And they are kind of fine. What do you all think?
