Have you ever wanted to go to Starbucks to get free used coffee grounds for your garden but had questions? Here are all of the details and more! Starbucks has a “Grounds For Your Garden” program where they set out free coffee grounds in their store in a labeled basket. The program was started back in 1995. Over half of all company owned Starbucks’ in the U.S. participate, and a little less than that participate in Canada.
Steps
- Walk into any Starbucks store.
- Look for a charcoal colored basket labeled “Grounds For Your Garden” or something similar. I have also seen a straw basket filled with shredded paper labeled in one store. It will usually be near the entrance of the store or the counter. The bin looks like a small trash basket, and will sometimes say “not a garbage.”
- The bags will usually be silver colored and labeled with a sticker, “Grounds For Your Garden” and “Free.” The sticker will have information about how to use the coffee grounds for composting, fertilizer, insect repellent, etc! They are large bags, probably the size of a gallon and a half. A few times I have seen the coffee grounds in a large clear, or clear green, or clear blue bag. But they are usually in a silver bag.
- The grounds might be dried, or they might be wet. There might be coffee filters mixed in, which you could compost. Sometimes there are giant tea bags or giant coffee filters mixed in. Normally I remove the coffee filters because they take longer to compost.
- If you do not see a bin labeled, ask. I have waited behind customers in line before, and then asked if they had any coffee grounds for the garden or composting. Most employees are familiar with this question! If they have any, they will usually ask you to wait a second while they bag them up for you! Occasionally, they might be unfamiliar with this question. At one Starbucks, the woman said that they don’t normally put them out, but she could save some and I could come back. At another, one employee said that they don’t normally put them out, but he could give me some. Also, I never actually buy anything when I go to get free grounds, so don’t feel like you have to make a purchase! If they do not have any grounds, you could go to another Starbucks!
- Make sure you line your car trunk with something like plastic bins, so they do not spill or leak. This is so important because wet coffee grounds can mold.
Plants That Like Coffee Grounds
Some plants that like them are: carrots, blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, and hydrangeas. Coffee grounds are a green material, high in nitrogen, and acidic. To find out more about how to use coffee grounds, check out reddit.com/composting for tips!
More Details
My experience has been that most Starbucks’ participate or are willing to give you free used coffee grounds if you ask. Last Sunday I went to 7 Starbucks’ locations, and 6 Starbucks’ inside another store (such as a grocery store, book store, or Target). Three of them did not have any grounds, but the rest did. I did have to ask at all of them, because they did not have any set out.
I remember the first time I heard a friend say she got 4 or 5 bags of coffee grounds for her blueberry plants, and I was wondering how that worked, what they looked like, and how to ask. Also, you could call ahead, and ask if they could save you some. Although, they are typically on a first come first serve basis. I hope this helps!
Have you ever tried this before? Do you use coffee grounds in your garden? Leave your answer in the comments!
Happy Gardening!
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