Scavenging Coffee Grounds in the Name of Building Soil
This is my neighbor Tony’s compost bin. On top you can see coffee grounds he obtained from a local coffee shop. His scavenging inspired me to do some of my own. This morning, I headed on down to Epoch, my neighborhood coffee house, and asked if I could take some of their used coffee grounds home with me. The barista I asked was accommodating, yet, at the very same time, a little annoyed. I sensed that she knew recycling the “trash” her workplace produces in copious amounts each day was a good thing… but also that her having to do it while customers were waiting in line wasn’t part of her job description. Next time I think I’ll bring my own bucket and do the dirty work myself. Or, perhaps, I’ll visit the nearest ‘Bucks to my house, the one on 45th and Lamar where two of my friends work. One of them, Rudi, has informed me that they get requests for their spent grounds all the time and that late morning is the best time to ask. Not only could I use the grounds in my outdoor compost bin, but I am contemplating setting up a vermicomposting bin, using red worms to break down my kitchen waste, later on today.
Tags: compost