The next time you finish your morning coffee, think twice before throwing those grounds away.

1. Give Your Used Coffee Grounds a Second Life

If you make coffee every morning, you probably throw away a surprising amount of used grounds. Before putting them in the trash, consider reusing them around your home and garden.

One of the easiest options is adding small amounts to a compost pile. Coffee grounds can contribute organic material to compost, especially when mixed with plenty of other compostable materials. You can also mix a modest amount into garden soil rather than using a thick layer of grounds on its own.

2. Seven Easy Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds

Here are several simple ideas worth trying:

1. Add them to compost — Mix used grounds into your compost pile.
2. Enrich garden soil — Add small amounts to soil along with other organic material.
3. Absorb odors — Place completely dry grounds in an open container to help absorb unwanted smells.
4. Freshen your refrigerator — A small bowl of dry grounds can be used as a simple odor absorber.
5. Make a hand scrub — Mix grounds with a little dish soap to help remove stubborn smells from your hands after cooking.
6. Natural craft dye — Coffee grounds can create earthy brown tones for certain paper and craft projects.
7. Create a simple garden or craft project — Dried grounds can be incorporated into homemade decorations or other creative projects.