It’s such an everyday occurrence that many probably don’t think about it, but making a few cups of coffee each day can actually lead to a lot of waste if you’re not careful!
Only 6 percent of the original coffee “cherry” is used in a cup of coffee after it has been processed, according to Fresh Cup Magazine.
And after making a cup at home, you’re left with some kind of waste, regardless of whether you use a machine like Keurig or a more traditional coffee maker. So what can you do to reduce coffee waste?
There are actually a number of useful ways to stretch the leftovers from your morning coffee!
Let’s start with Keurig coffee pods. While you can use the coffee ground from inside the cup, it may not be easy to recycle the cup itself currently. In Toronto, for example, Keurig Canada and the city of Toronto have reportedly been at odds about how Keurig pods should be disposed of, according to the Star.
One of the concerns is that coffee grounds could contaminate other recycling materials. The cups are also a mixed-material item that would need to have their plastic and foil separated before they could be recycled.
According to Recyclebank, K-Cups can’t be recycled currently, but the company plans to make them fully recyclable by 2020.
There’s also a product called Recycle-A-Cup which cuts the foil from K-Cups and helps make them more widely recyclable. The company Grounds to Grow On also works with offices to recycle their K-Cups by using the grounds as compost and separating the cups’ components.
Coffee grounds are much easier to reuse, and there are a number of different ways to do it.
Coffee grounds can be a fantastic and affordable way to help grow your garden. Putting coffee grounds in your garden can help enrich the soil with organic matter and minerals.
There are other ways to reuse coffee grounds as well. One company is even using them to make furniture!
A simple and cheap beauty tip is to use coffee grounds as a simple exfoliator for your face. Just mix them with a bit of water and coconut oil or even avocado, and scrub your face to exfoliate! They also work as a simple body scrub that smells wonderful with a bit of cinnamon.
Finally, you can even get creative and use coffee grounds in your cooking! Try using them in this recipe for Mini Coffee Monkey Bread.
Looking for more plant-based lifestyle tips? Check out the Food Monster App, where you can find tons of recipes for meat alternatives and other healthy food. The app is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 10,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day.
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