Every cup of coffee leaves something behind. Most of the time, it ends up in the bin. But used coffee grounds are far too useful for that.

This is one of the easiest sustainability wins you can make at home. A small habit, a simple switch, and less waste heading to landfill.

What We Do With Ours

Grounds from our Richmond cafe finding a new home through Reground's community garden network. Photo: Reground

 

At our Richmond café, we partner with Reground to collect and divert used coffee grounds from landfill. Since 2019, more than 45 tonnes of grounds have been given a second life through community gardens, farms and composting programs.

That kind of progress matters to us because sustainability is not separate from good coffee. It is part of how we protect the future of coffee and the communities around it. It is also why we continue to invest in measurable action across the business, from waste reduction to carbon emissions.

And while not everyone has access to a commercial collection partner, there are still a few easy ways to keep your grounds working a little longer at home.

5 Easy Ways to Recycle Your Grounds at Home

Follow our blend recipes to waste less coffee

 

01. Use a Scale and a Recipe

The most impactful place to start is before the grounds are even spent. Using a scale and following a recipe means you dose correctly every time — wasting less coffee and saving money in the process. Less waste at the start means less to deal with at the end.

02. FOGO Bin

If your council provides a FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) bin, coffee grounds can go straight in. It is one of the simplest ongoing options — no garden required, no compost setup, no extra effort. Just a better bin.

03. Compost Bin or Worm Farm

Coffee grounds are a great addition to compost and worm farms. They are rich in nitrogen and break down well when balanced with other organic material. Your worms will be more than happy to help.

04. Straight Onto the Garden

Mix your grounds through a little soil or compost and add them to garden beds. They can help improve soil structure, and many home gardeners also use them around plants as a handy deterrent for slugs, snails and the occasional neighbourhood visitor.

05. No Garden? No Problem.

If you do not have outdoor space, look into local community gardens or composting programs in your area. Many accept used coffee grounds and put them to good use. A quick search for community composting near you is all it takes.

A Small Habit That Adds Up 

Nick Percy, Group Sustainability Manager at Veneziano Coffee Roasters

 

At Veneziano, we believe good coffee should do good, too. That mindset shapes the big things — like our B Corp recertification and Climate Active Carbon Neutral certification — but it also shows up in smaller everyday actions. Reusing your coffee grounds is one of them.

Whether it is your FOGO bin, your compost, or your veggie patch, giving your grounds a second life is an easy place to start.

This post is part of our Sustainability Series, where we share practical ways to brew your everyday with a little less waste. If you want to go deeper on what we are doing across the business, explore our full sustainability program below.