Can you recycle used coffee grounds?

In recent years, brewing coffee at home has seen a massive surge in popularity. Whether you’re making filter coffee or pulling espresso shots, it is now easier than ever to make a great cup of coffee from the comfort of your home.

However, every cup of coffee you brew creates organic waste, including the spent coffee grounds that you’ve extracted those delicious flavours and aromas from. Every year, we produce millions of tonnes of used coffee grounds, the vast majority of which are sent to landfill. But is this truly necessary?

Read on to learn more about what you can do to recycle or repurpose your used coffee grounds instead of throwing them away.

Why do we need to recycle coffee grounds?

For many households around the world, used coffee grounds just end up in the trash. While a percentage of our coffee waste does get repurposed or reused, it’s estimated that as much as 75% goes straight to landfill.

This is a problem. Coffee contains a number of natural acidic compounds with an average pH value of 4.85 to 5.10. Even after brewing, a significant number of these compounds remain.

When used coffee sits in a landfill for months on end, these acidic compounds leach out from the spent grounds into the surrounding soil and damage it. Alongside this, when coffee waste does eventually break down in a landfill’s anaerobic environment, it releases methane – a greenhouse gas which is considerably more damaging than carbon dioxide.

This has an adverse effect on people all around the world, including the farmers who grow the coffee we love to drink. Arabica coffee – which represents around 60% of global coffee production – thrives between 64°F to 69°F (18°C to 21°C).

This makes it especially susceptible to climate change, and is already forcing coffee producers to climb to higher elevations in search of cooler temperatures.

So, what can we do to dispose of organic coffee waste in a more sustainable and responsible way?

Coffee industry initiatives: Recycling coffee grounds

First, we have to ask: Can coffee grounds be recycled? Although it might not look like it, your coffee waste can be repurposed at scale in a number of different ways.

Even as a “waste” product, old coffee grounds can be reused as:

• Highly efficient biofuel

• Natural fertiliser and composting material

• Beauty and skincare scrubs, soaps, and masks

Rather than a cup-to-landfill formula, industries are attempting to close the loop on the coffee lifecycle. Consider a few examples for your leftover grounds in more detail.

Coffee as a biofuel

Coffee grounds are highly calorific, making them a great source material for biofuel. While traditionally plants like sugarcane or corn are used, growing crops for the express purpose of harvesting them for fuel leads to further environmental issues—like deforestation.

While reusing coffee waste as a fuel source is by no means a mainstream option, it is becoming a more realistic possibility with every passing year. 

Around the world, numerous organisations manage collection schemes to gather spent coffee grounds on a massive scale. Every year, they save millions of tonnes of used coffee grounds from going to landfill. These can then be dried and repurposed as fuel pellets, for instance.

Coffee as home goods and apparel

Other brands have opted to tackle coffee waste from a different angle. When dried, preserved, moulded, and polished, used coffee grounds can be repurposed to make all kinds of household items—including mugs, cups, and dishes.

Further, by incorporating old grounds into textile fibres, innovative clothing manufacturers have been able to develop fabrics that are:

• Odour-resistant

• Quick-drying

• UV-protective

A similar process led to the development of “coffee sneakers”, waterproof trainers that take advantage of coffee’s natural antibacterial and anti-odour properties.

What to do with used paper coffee filters

If you use paper coffee filters, you don’t need to throw them away after every brew. Many types of paper filters can be washed and reused multiple times before they need to be discarded. 

When it’s time to dispose of them, paper coffee filters are fully compostable and can break down alongside your used coffee grounds. Just be sure to avoid filters that are bleached or coated with synthetic materials, as these may not decompose as effectively. Adding used filters to your compost pile can enhance its structure and help create nutrient-rich compost for your garden.

How can you repurpose used coffee grounds at home?

We know there are industry initiatives to help repurpose and recycle coffee grounds. But what about on a smaller scale? What can you do from home to make your coffee habit more sustainable? 

Consider using your spent grounds as: 

• Add to a compost pile – Coffee grounds are a great resource for gardening. However, be mindful about dropping freshly used grounds straight into the soil, as coffee’s natural acids, nitrogen, and caffeine are toxic to some plants and animals. Instead, compost your old grounds for at least 100 days and ensure they make up no more than 10% to 20% of your total compost heap volume.

• Insecticide – Coffee waste is highly toxic to certain insects, including some species of mosquitoes and most slugs. Leave a few bowls of used grounds near your window as a natural repellent, or to create “barriers” around the soil to protect your plants.

• Exfoliant – Beyond their uses in the garden, spent coffee grounds can also be used as a body scrub . You can also try making a face mask from yoghurt and coffee grounds, or massaging the grounds into your scalp to help remove excess product or oil buildup. 

• Dry rub – Add a smoky richness to your grilled or roasted meats by incorporating used coffee grounds into your dry rub mix. A teaspoon or two in your rub for beef, pork, or chicken can add depth of flavour and balance sweet or spicy ingredients.

• Degreaser – Since coffee grounds are mildly abrasive and absorptive, they can help scrub tough grease and grime off pots and pans after cooking. Sprinkle finer grounds onto your dishes to let them soak up grease, or add coarser grounds to a sponge and start scrubbing.

These creative uses for spent coffee grounds not only reduce waste of organic material but show that sustainability can start in your kitchen. After all, why toss what can be reused?

Brew, reuse, repeat: How Sage supports sustainability 

While it only makes a minor difference individually, repurposing your coffee waste is a small step towards a sustainable future. Whether you use it in your compost heap, as an exfoliant, or as a fuel source, it’s better than sending your used grounds to landfill.

At Sage, we’re committed to fostering sustainability through education and innovation in the coffee space. With durable espresso machines and long-lasting coffee equipment, Sage appliances help you brew responsibly and get the most out of every cup—right down to the last grounds.

So the next time you pull an espresso shot or brew a pot, think about how those grounds could serve another purpose. With a little creativity, you might discover a whole new way to enjoy a more sustainable coffee experience.

While it only makes a minor difference on an individual level, repurposing your coffee waste is a small step towards a sustainable future for the coffee sector.

Whether you use it as compost, an exfoliant, or a fuel source, it’s better than simply sending your used grounds to landfill.

So, next time you brew a cup of filter coffee or pull an espresso shot at home, think twice before throwing your coffee grounds away. You might just find another, more sustainable use for them.