Scientists Discover An Amazing Practical Use For Leftover Coffee Grounds

[Warpy]

"The disposal of organic waste poses an environmental challenge as it emits large amounts of greenhouse gases including methane and carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change," explained RMIT University engineer Rajeev Roychand.

With a booming construction market globally, there's also an ever increasing demand for resource intensive concrete causing another set of environmental challenges too..
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-Organic products like coffee grounds can't be added directly to concrete because they leak chemicals that weaken the building material's strength. So using low energy levels the team heated coffee waste to over 350 °C (around 660 °F) while depriving it of oxygen.

This process is called pyrolyzing. It breaks down the organic molecules, resulting in a porous, carbon-rich charcoal called biochar, that can form bonds with and thereby incorporate itself into the cement matrix.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-discover-an-amazing-practical-use-for-leftover-coffee-grounds

[2naSalit]

1. I'd donate mine...

If someone will come and get it.

[Easterncedar]

2. Mine go into the compost

I’d accept contributions!

[Warpy]

4. I discovered decades ago that the plants I mulched with coffee grounds

took off and got enormous and produced enough for me to can or freeze. The ex's coffee grounds went into the garden daily after that, side dressings in summer, sheet composting in winter.

[GreenWave]

19. Mine too, It's like they don't sleep at night.

[niyad]

7. Our local Starbucks give away their used coffee grounds. We gardeners love

that.

[SheilaAnn]

3. Science is so awesome, always coming up with something to help the earth. n/t

[niyad]

5. And ways to destroy it at the same time.

[niyad]

6. That is very good. Of course, for gardeners, coffee grounds NEVER go to

waste. They go either into the compost bin, or directly around plants.

[EYESORE 9001]

8. Sounds rather energy-intensive

The processes will undoubtedly be optimized and economies of scale will bring down cost. Making cement is even more energy-intensive, plus it’s a polluter of air, soil, and water., however, so longer-lasting concrete will reduce the need for processing as much cement.

[Shermann]

17. A practical way to use direct solar to pyrolyze seems to be called for.

Those high temps are a challenge though.

[central scrutinizer]

9. Earthworms in my compost pile

Seem to love coffee grounds. But I haven’t tried decaf grounds.

[SarahD]

16. Worm farm

You can buy a little worm farm for your kitchen. They gobble up coffee grounds vegetable bits, etc. It's surprising how greedy they are.

[Orrex]

18. Does it keep them awake at night?

[NJCher]

10. a bag of biochar for gardening

is anywhere from $8-12. It is so desirable that I thought I'd make it myself. Then I found the directions for doing so and changed my mind real fast.

Tough to do.

[AllyCat]

11. Another vote here for compost!

Garden LOVES them!

[MyMission]

12. My crazy artistic ex

Added coffee grounds to paint to give it texture.
Interesting on canvas, and on the walls.

I compost mine.

[Hekate]

13. I dump it on outdoor potted plants & they love it. I think the surface dries while underneath the moisture holds

I have a pot of shamrocks that a friend gave me and they often struggle, I think because the air is dry and the sun is intense when it slants beneath the patio roof. I finally dumped a week’s worth of moist coffee grounds all over it, and very shortly the pot was full of greenery again. I have a couple of pots of mint on the wall beneath the oak tree, and something ate them to the bare stems — I’m used to mint being hardier than that, but I gave them the same treatment and new growth came right up. I hope whatever ate them doesn’t like coffee.

I am so glad I gave up the Keurig!!.

[hlthe2b]

15. I'm told they are very helpful to roses... 'Might try it.

[hlthe2b]

14. I'd gladly collect it for pick-up.

[NNadir]

20. These amazing University publicity department press releases are, if nothing else, amusing.

The problem of concrete is very real, but this press release which, in my opinion, borders on silly, one of those wonderful expressions of the wishful thinking that substitutes for serious approaches to very exigent problems.