Gardeners encouraged to use Starbucks coffee grounds and boost crops

Gardeners are being encouraged to call on the help of their local Starbucks store and pick up the stores’ used coffee grounds to help boost crops growth.

The Allotments & Gardens Council UK are sharing the benefits of using coffee grounds on plants with their members across Britain, who can visit their local Starbucks store and pick up free used coffee grounds.

According to the Allotments & Gardens Council UK, used coffee grounds provide a great, long-term way to enrich soil and eliminate the need for other fertilisers, and they can also speed up the composting process – making them the perfect natural material to use in private gardens, allotments and outdoor spaces.

Starbucks ‘Grounds For Your Garden’ offers an effective way to reuse waste material - even the packaging is reused when baristas scoop used the coffee grounds into empty bags  used to deliver the espresso beans.  Customers can pick up a free bag of used coffee grounds, which will be located by the checkout in their local Starbucks store, or they can ask their barista. 

The Allotments & Gardens Council UK support societies across the UK. Jeff Bond, board member for The Allotments and Gardens and Council UK, commented: “Our members are always looking for new ways to boost their crop growth and this scheme really benefits gardeners in local communities who may not have access to this natural fertiliser. Used coffee grounds are high in nitrogen so they are fantastic for plant growth and we can use them for growing a range of plants on the allotments from, tomatoes to marrows and even pumpkins!”

Clare Walker, communications director for Starbucks UK, said: “Thank you to the Allotments and Gardens Council UK for shining a spotlight on this programme, which we have offered in our stores for 20 years. We’re committed to reducing waste from our stores, and it’s a great opportunity to support local gardeners and allotment keepers too!”