Used coffee grounds can be turned into fire starting material: instructions

If you save the grounds from your morning cup of coffee to make a mask or face scrub, you're doing the right thing. But did you know that this is not the only way to utilize this type of kitchen waste?

For example, the grounds can be used to make an effective fire starter. House Digest collected this recipe and more. It also explained why it is so important to reuse coffee grounds.

Why coffee grounds should be reused

You may think that there is not much waste from your cup of coffee – just a tablespoon. But now imagine that every resident of your high-rise building threw away the same amount. And now multiply by 7 to get the amount of waste for the week.

In the United States, it has been estimated that over the past 20 years, coffee consumption in the country has increased by 37%. As a result, almost 60 tons of coffee grounds end up in landfills every year. And this is a serious figure. Meanwhile, it can be a very valuable resource.

How to make a fire starter from coffee grounds

Coffee grounds firestarter briquettes have recently gone viral on social media. They require fairly simple ingredients to make, and yet they work very effectively.

Creating a fire starter from coffee grounds takes only about 15 minutes of active work, plus cooling and hardening. Therefore, even a beginner can handle the production, although it will take a little patience.

So, gather some dry grounds and take the wax. Melt a small amount of wax in a water bath, and when it is completely liquid, add the completely dry coffee grounds to it. The proportion should be such that the ingredients form a thick paste.

Pour the resulting paste into the mold and let it dry completely before using. If you want to use more recycled materials in your fire starter, try using an old egg carton or duct tape roll instead of a mold.

When you are ready to test your fire starter, remove it from the mold and wrap it in wax paper. You can also add a small candle wick to the briquette before setting it to harden. In this case, you won't need wax paper.

And that's about it. The fire starter briquette is ready. The total burning time will depend on its size. If it is the size of an egg, it will last about 20 minutes. You can use such a firestarter in a fireplace or for a campfire outdoors – it will burn even in wet weather.

Other ways to use coffee grounds

For those who don't like to make a fire, there are many other ways to use used coffee grounds. You can use coffee grounds as a plant mulch to add nutrients to the soil and reduce weeds at the same time.

Pour it into a wide bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Let it work as an odor absorber. The firestarter described above, when burning, can also scare away mosquitoes and even ants and spiders with its aroma.

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