Part of being sustainable is reducing or eliminating your garbage creation. Even when we bury organic matter in landfills, it does not reduce down to useful bio-matter, it just sits there. Organic materials need air to decompose. All organic items can be converted into useful products if you help rather than inhibit the natural processes. So don't think that by throwing those daily coffee grinds into the garbage bag, that you are saving the planet.
Coffee grounds can be added directly to your compost pile or set aside for soil amendment.
pH: Unused coffee grinds have a pH of between 3 and 5* whereas coffee grinds after brewing have a pH of about 6.9**. Most plants like a pH of about 6-7.
You could add coffee grinds to soil to amend it for acid loving plants such as blueberries, but think of the environmental impact of growing and transporting coffee. I am not sure if there is a better solution for lowering the pH of your soil, but will look into it before I plant my blueberry bushes.
Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio: of coffee grinds is 20:1* whereas ideal ratio is 30:1*** so they are very near ideal for a compost
Vermicomposting: if giving all of your pets a treat at Christmas, give your worms some coffee grinds and if you listen closely you will hear them singing carols. Feeding coffee grinds to your worms will create those beneficial worm castings which are kind of like a sourdough starter for soil. Put the worm castings in your garden or in your compost or make a castings tea to spray outdoors.
Sheet Mulching: You may be holding a belief that you are a terrible gardener and it is likely just that you are dealing with terrible soil conditions. Building soil is something that is easy to do and coffee grinds can be used for it. Using a layering system of cardboard/newspaper and organic materials such as straw, hay, leaves, shredded tree clippings, and/or coffee grounds can build a rich mulch that will have your garden growing beautifully within 1 to 3 years.
How to do it:
Anytime of year, start dumping your coffee grinds, paper filters as well as tea bags into a container. The grinds will dry out to have no odour on your counter but inside the pile may develop a fungus or mould. If you are concerned about it, wear a mask when handling.****
Share:
Even if you know you won't use coffee grinds in your yard, or maybe you don't even have a yard, set them aside anyway. Ask any of your gardening friends, check your local community garden or put an ad on your local online classifieds that you have them to give away. As a consumer, you have a responsibility to find an appropriate end use for all of your 'garbage' materials. Work towards finding a beneficial use for all of your waste. The more you avoid using a landfill, the better it is for the planet and future generations.
* http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/coffee-grounds-and-gardening.html
** http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707171641.htm
*** http://seattletilth.org/learn/resources-1/city-chickens/compostingchickenmanure
**** http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/soil/msg1022152317190.html
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