The Australian love affair with coffee has no sign of abating. We love visiting great local cafes, and more of us are investing in high-quality coffee machines for the home. In fact, making coffee at home is a great way to enjoy your shot in an environmentally-friendly way, using less in the way of disposable cups and taking them out of the mix for rubbish removal in North Sydney.

Did you know that coffee grounds are far too useful to just throw away in the bin?

Here are some unique ways to recycle your coffee grounds – and do your own part to save the planet a cup at a time!

• Dried, used coffee grounds are fantastic for neutralising odours. Simply sprinkle them on a baking tray and allow them to dry completely. Placed in small bowls throughout the home, they will neutralise odours very effectively, without leaving a coffee smell throughout your house.
• Create a delicious meat rub with a difference for red meat (beef, lamb, ribs, burgers) by mixing coffee grounds with paprika, oregano, garlic, mixed herbs and black pepper. The resulting flavour will be strong and smokey.
• Fertilize your garden and boost seedling growth with the addition of coffee grounds to the soil. They contain calcium, nitrogen, iron, potassium, phosphorus, chromium and magnesium, which are key minerals. The coffee grounds will also attract worms, absorb heavy metals, and promote a healthier garden. Carrots, in particular, will thrive.
• Compost coffee grounds with organic plant waste for a scientifically-proven richer compost of higher quality and with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
• Repel insects including ants, fruit flies, and mosquitoes. Set out bowls of coffee grounds or sprinkle them in outdoor seating areas. Scatter grounds around plants to discourage pests and create a barrier against snails and slugs.
• Use coffee grounds to polish cookware, clean your grill, and scour your sink, pots, and pans. (Avoid using them on porous items like ceramics).
• Mix coffee grounds with water, honey or coconut oil to make a gentle exfoliating scrub for your body and face. The caffeine in the grounds is antioxidant and this helps increase blood flow and may help protect from sun and wind damage.
• Rewet used coffee grounds to make a natural dye for colouring cotton, linen, rayon, paper and cellophane. It can provide a vintage look to paper and fabric and can be effective to disguise existing stains on towels and clothing. It can deepen hair colour and be used to dye Easter eggs – a chemical-free solution! (Fun Fact: Marilyn Monroe used coffee to dye her wedding veil beige for her 1956 marriage to Arthur Miller). After using coffee to dye fabric or yarn that will be worn, rinse it in cold water and very mild laundry detergent.

Check out more of our blogs here at AA Adonis Rubbish Removals for tips on premium rubbish removal on the North Shore.