Q&A for How to Dispose of Coffee Grounds

Sure. Even the solid waste is a good fertilizer. It is very good for the plants and can promote growth.

No, you actually should never dispose of coffee grounds by pouring them down a sink drain, or even by flushing them down a toilet. They can easily collect and cause a clog in your drain. For a super easy solution, just throw your grounds in the garbage as you would any other non-hazardous household waste. Coffee grounds can actually absorb odors, so they might help keep your trash from smelling bad. You can also reuse them for other purposes. Since they’re abrasive and acidic, coffee grounds are good at scrubbing away residue on pots and pans. But they can leave behind a brown tinge, so make sure anything you clean with them is stain-resistant. You can also make a moisturizing, exfoliating scrub, by mixing a tablespoon of olive oil with 1⁄4 c (59 mL) of used coffee grounds. Massage your face and any areas of dry, flaky skin, then rinse off the grounds and oil with lukewarm water.

You can reuse them for other things! Coffee grounds are abrasive and acidic, so you can use them to scrub away residue from pots and pans. Just keep in mind that they can clog a drain. If you use grounds to scrub a pot, use a kitchen sink plug with a fine mesh drain basket to collect the grounds, then throw them in the trash. You can also use their natural abrasiveness to make an exfoliating scrub. Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with 1⁄4 c (59 mL) of used coffee grounds and massage your face and any areas of dry, flaky skin. Then, rinse off the grounds and oil with lukewarm water.

Technically, yes. There's nothing wrong with using coffee grounds twice, or even three times. You won't get sick and they'll still make coffee. However, it just won't taste the same. The first time you use the grounds, the hot water extracts the oils, aromas, and complex flavors to form a delicious cup of coffee. Once they're extracted, the grounds will taste stale and won't have as much caffeine left in them. However, if that's all you have, it's better than nothing! But if you have the choice, use fresh grounds instead.