{"id":7150,"date":"2016-06-29T13:55:49","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T19:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/?p=7150"},"modified":"2016-06-29T14:01:39","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T20:01:39","slug":"higher-grounds-seven-awesome-post-java-innovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/2016\/06\/29\/higher-grounds-seven-awesome-post-java-innovations\/","title":{"rendered":"Higher Grounds: Seven Awesome Post-Java Innovations"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Fretting over what to do with those used coffee-grounds? Fret no longer, as we\u2019ve got seven\u00a0awesome post-java innovations<\/h3>\n<p>Coffee. Not sure if you\u2019ve noticed, but there\u2019s a lot of it about these days. Whether it\u2019s back-to-back global coffee chains swallowing up busy streets, artisan cafes making hipper creations for MacBook-touting media cats\u00a0to sip or ambitious wannabe-baristas brewing it at home \u2013 there\u2019s a lot of rubbish being produced in pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee, and we don\u2019t just mean questionable latte art.<\/p>\n<p>Our caffeine addiction means that more than 25 million tonnes of grounds are produced every year. Most of that is chucked in the trash bin and sent to landfill or for incineration, increasing both waste and greenhouse gas emissions. A project that recycles coffee-grounds into green energy, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bio-bean.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bio-Bean<\/a>, is targeting cafes and larger factories, but as that\u2019s not yet an option for the masses, here are some brilliant (and not-so-brilliant) ideas for reusing those gunky grounds.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>1.\u00a0Fertilizer for your\u00a0flowerbeds and vegetable gardens<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7155 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-fertilizer-women-of-green.jpg\" alt=\"coffee-fertilizer-women-of-green\" width=\"630\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-fertilizer-women-of-green.jpg 630w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-fertilizer-women-of-green-300x195.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re lucky enough to have a patch of grass to call your own or even a veg or herb garden (Londoners and New Yorkers \u2013 stop reading now), hurl the grounds on to a compost heap with dried leaves or compostable coffee filters. The nitrogen boost will get your pile rotting revoltingly in no time \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing, if you were wondering. You can even perk up pot plants or window boxes by sprinkling grounds on the soil.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>2. Skin Exfoliator<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7156 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-exfoliant-women-of-green.jpg\" alt=\"coffee-exfoliant-women-of-green\" width=\"600\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-exfoliant-women-of-green.jpg 600w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-exfoliant-women-of-green-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Whip-up an easy and inexpensive exfoliator by mixing a spoonful of coffee-grounds with a few drops of olive or coconut oil. Massage into your skin in a circular motion and you\u2019ll be left with a smooth complexion, a healthy glow, and a faint whiff of coffee following you around all day. Apparently this is a miracle cure* for cellulite, too. (*Not scientifically proven. At all).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>3.\u00a0Weaponizing agent for washing-up dishes<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7157 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-dish-cleaner-women-of-green.jpg\" alt=\"coffee-dish-cleaner-women-of-green\" width=\"600\" height=\"415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-dish-cleaner-women-of-green.jpg 600w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-dish-cleaner-women-of-green-300x208.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Baked-on leftovers sticking stubbornly to your pots and pans? Roll up your sleeves, chuck the grounds into soapy water and get scrubbing (with a scouring pad or brush, that is). Give it some elbow grease and behold your newly spotless pans. Note: this is not advisable for dishes that stain, unless you like your crockery with a murky brown tint.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>4.\u00a0Crispy caffeinated snacks<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7158 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-treats-women-of-green.jpg\" alt=\"coffee-treats-women-of-green\" width=\"600\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-treats-women-of-green.jpg 600w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-treats-women-of-green-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Not to be outdone by laughably caffeine-free vegetables like kale, parsnips and beetroot, coffee-grounds can also be made into crisps. Yes, crisps. There\u2019s a recipe, of sorts, on food culture website\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/aortafood.com\/noooo-dont-throw-that-out\/\" target=\"_blank\">Aorta<\/a>, which involves cooking the grounds into porridge and roasting them \u2013 apparently they taste like dark chocolate. Just bear in mind that these are the same people who\u00a0used the grounds to create \u2018brown butter\u2019, before serving it with game. Just saying.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>5.\u00a0Fabric for\u00a0keeping\u00a0you warm<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7159 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mountain-designs-coffee-jacket-women-of-green.jpg\" alt=\"mountain-designs-coffee-jacket-women-of-green\" width=\"375\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mountain-designs-coffee-jacket-women-of-green.jpg 375w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mountain-designs-coffee-jacket-women-of-green-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/mountain-designs-coffee-jacket-women-of-green-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Let your favorite bean keep you toasty after it\u2019s been roasted, thanks to Australian company\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mountaindesigns.com\/md-coffee-fibre-down-jackets-vests\" target=\"_blank\">Mountain Designs<\/a>, which has created a range of <a href=\"https:\/\/collectively.org\/en\/video\/watch-this-company-is-turning-your-used-coffee-grounds-into-super-toasty-jacket-material\/\" class=\"broken_link\">Coffee Fiber jackets<\/a>\u00a0filled with material made from a mix of recycled grounds and ethically sourced down. So forget your <a href=\"http:\/\/www.urbandictionary.com\/define.php?term=beer+jacket\" target=\"_blank\">beer jacket<\/a> the next time you\u2019re on a big night out \u2013 a coffee jacket will do just fine. Plus they actually exist, unlike beer jackets.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>6. Confetti alternative for weddings of\u00a0acquaintances<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7160 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-confetti-women-of-green.jpg\" alt=\"coffee-confetti-women-of-green\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-confetti-women-of-green.jpg 600w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_coffee-confetti-women-of-green-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Everyone knows by now that traditional confetti is a big environmental no-no. Sure, you can buy eco-friendly confetti made from petals or birdseed (no, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etsy.com\/search?includes%5B%5D=tags&q=wedding+birdseed\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"broken_link\">seriously<\/a>) or hemp yogurt or whatever, but why spend even more of your hard-earned on your friends\u2019 wedding when you can just reuse all of last week\u2019s coffee-grounds? Just dry them out, bring some\u00a0to a wedding\u00a0and launch it in an arc of mushy joy as your pals tie the knot. They\u2019ll never forget such a grand, ecologically awesome gesture.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>7.\u00a0\u2018Soft concrete\u2019 for children\u2019s playgrounds<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7161 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_playground-coffee-grinds-women-of-green.jpg\" alt=\"playground-coffee-grinds-women-of-green\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_playground-coffee-grinds-women-of-green.jpg 600w, https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/rsz_playground-coffee-grinds-women-of-green-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You might think that the mushiness of coffee-grounds is a bad thing. WRONG, COFFEE-HATERS. That squishiness is actually a blessing in disguise \u2013 if you value the safety and wellbeing of children, that is. Those mushy grounds are the perfect base material for the floor of kids\u2019 playgrounds, meaning that when your little darling takes a tumble, their fall will (hopefully) be broken by the wondrous waste. Coffee-grounds are also a known shock absorber \u2013 we think (although we accept absolutely no responsibility if that turns out to be false). Thanks, coffee \u2013 you really are the best.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/collectively.org\/en\/article\/8-reasons-waste-coffee-grounds-are-the-solution-to-nearly-every-single-one-of-the-worlds-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"broken_link\">Collectively<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Source: Wiki Commons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our caffeine addiction means that more than 25 million tonnes of grounds are produced every year. Most of that is chucked in the trash bin and sent to landfill or for incineration, increasing both waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some brilliant (and not-so-brilliant) ideas for reusing those gunky grounds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1359,1345,1347],"tags":[1699,135,353,1397,96,1587],"class_list":["post-7150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-post","category-health","category-innovation","tag-coffee-grinds","tag-eco-moms","tag-environmental-sustainability","tag-food-sustainability","tag-recycling","tag-upcycle"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7150"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7168,"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7150\/revisions\/7168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/womenofgreen.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}