7 Ways You Could be Reusing Your Old Coffee Grounds

If you're anything like me, coffee is a must do before class. I'm an early riser and don't usually have a hard time getting out of bed. However, if I need to participate in a class discussion you had better hope there is caffeine in me. 

Its easy to prepare a full bodied cup of zero waste coffee with a french press, but how can we take our efforts a step further? What can we do about the remaining coffee grounds? 

As it turns out, there's a lot you can do with them!

Enough With the Trash Talk: Is Recycling Really the Answer?

With only a 34% recycling rate, the United States' recycling efforts are almost laughable when compared to countries like Germany, which recycle 65% of all their waste.  Since a country's ability to efficiently recycle is enabled or inhibited by its economic, social, and political opportunities. This means it is important to contextualize a country (or individual's) circumstances before casting judgment. 

That being said, it might also be useful to see what countries with the highest recycling rates are doing right.  What appears to be happening, is that countries, like Germany, are emphasizing other forms of sustainability above recycling. 

Image by Jordan Johnson

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to dissuade anyone from their recycling efforts. Recycling is a necessary part of sustainable living. It should not, however, be seen as the main focus or priority of sustainability.