What can I Do with the Used Coffee Grounds When Camping

Published: Nov 24, 2020

We have discussed in our articles how to prepare your coffee while camping and what are the ideal materials to pack so you can make a good coffee, we would like to give attention also on the proper disposal of the used coffee grounds during your camping adventures. Some campers tend to throw the waste anywhere but be reminded that coffee sediments can transform into harmful gas that can deteriorate our surroundings.

In this article, we will be talking about the possible things you can do with the coffee waste materials. A camper should always remember the Leave No Trace Principle first then the recycling; correct disposal of coffee grounds is the next routine you should apply. If you are a camper and have a tendency to pack coffee grounds, this is the best advice you can get, especially if you are in the middle of the woods and you don't know where to throw your garbage. Observe environmental conservation and make it a habit anywhere and all the time.

What Does the Leave No Trace Mean?

As you are traveling to isolated places or in the woods for trekking, many people don't have this mindset to take care of the surroundings. Some of them throw their garbage anywhere without thinking that it could lead to harmful effects on the environment. In the aspect of coffee making, we really advise you to take care of the coffee sediments by disposing them properly.

Leave No Trace is a principle that should be practiced by the campers when camping, to observe environmental conservation.

This is composed of 7 fundamentals and these are:

• to plan ahead and prepare,
• travel and camp on durable surfaces,
• dispose of waste properly,
• leave what you find,
• minimize campfire impacts,
• respect wildlife, and
• be considerate of other visitors

Always remember to exercise these if you are administering any outdoor activities may it be in the forests or even in your backyard.

When we conduct a bit of research about the effects of coffee grounds on the environment, we found out that this is indeed harmful. The decomposed coffee grounds free up methane which is a known greenhouse gas that can increase global warming.

From now on, you should start being cautious of the waste materials during your camping because it can affect the environment with reckless actions and behavior. Start practicing the Leave No Trace principle with your next trip onwards.

What to Do with the Used Coffee Grounds When Camping?

You should be wondering by now where to dispose of the used coffee grounds since the decayed product is harmful to the environment. If you are going to ask, then there are several solutions we can provide to recycle this waste material and to prevent the dangerous consequences but also, you can throw it in the proper methods.

For now, let's focus on how to recycle this matter.

To recycle the coffee grounds when camping, the first thing you need to do is pack it up until you go home. This waste material can be used as:

• Fertilizers,
• Compost,
• Air purifier,
• Cleaning stains,
• Skin exfoliation,  
• Make it as an insect repellent or donate it to companies who are manufacturing biofuels and biochemicals. 

With this, you will not only be able to save money with such but also, it can help to conserve the environment. Apart from these, there are still several techniques you can observe to reuse the sediments.

The things we enumerated are the most common methods on how to use the said waste. So after you practice the Leave No Trace principle, this is the next move you can do in order to reduce the result of greenhouse gas from coffee sediments. Aside from proper disposal, you have now numerous choices to exercise environmental conservation actions.

How to Properly Dispose of Coffee Grounds

If you don't want to reuse and find it hard to recycle the used coffee grounds, you can throw it properly. Of course, most of us are not capable of converting some of the processes we have advised on the aforementioned topic so appropriate disposal is the key practice after that.

We where alarmed about how to do this at first as we where not sure if we where doing it properly but since we applied several methods and techniques, the routine just became handy on our part. You just don't need to be lazy after drinking your coffee and throw it somewhere to get rid of the grounds.

Disposing of coffee grounds through trash

The simplest and easiest thing to dispose of your coffee grounds waste is to pack it or throw it in your trash can. But with this method, your waste will still end up in the landfill. Meaning, this is also not an advisable way but just an alternative if you don't have any choice to recycle it. Bear in mind that these grounds do not dissolve in water.

Don't drain through a sink or bathroom

Don't try to drain it in the bathroom or in the sink because it can cause clogs that will bring a nuisance to you. You can also contact companies who offer composting services to help you in disposing it.

Recycle or Reuse

Those are the substitute practice to throw your waste but as much as possible, we recommend you recycle or reuse the coffee grounds to avoid natural decomposition. Even though we stated that this is the next you can possibly do, the waste can still affect the surroundings.

Final Thoughts

For our final day, the best routine you need to observe in disposing of your coffee waste is to recycle it. This system will just keep everything in place without harming the environment. It is not only an advantage to the surroundings but it can help you to save money just by reusing the coffee grounds and convert it into a helpful product that can be utilized in your daily living. 

The Leave No Trace principles are the most essential reminders if you want to start caring and execute environmental conservation when camping. As much as possible, avoid throwing your garbage anywhere whether you're camping or inside your house.