You Can Turn Used Coffee Grounds Into A Supercharged Fire Starter. Here's How

Did you know that the grounds left over after your morning cup of joe can be used in different types of DIY projects? It's true. Used grounds are the foundation for numerous do-it-yourself adventures, from using coffee grounds to clean household items to a natural method for garden pest control. The NCA reports that the average daily coffee consumption in the U.S. has increased by 37% over the past 20 years, leading to nearly 60 tons of coffee grounds ending up in landfills each year. These findings highlight how small steps like recycling coffee grounds and other types of waste can have a significant impact on our environment over time.

One DIY use for coffee grounds that's recently gone viral is using roasted grounds to create a fire starter briquette. It's a simple process that only requires a few materials and, once completed, can be kept on hand during any type of outdoor excursion as a reliable tool. The small briquettes are useful during inclement weather and have a surprisingly long burn time, considering their size. Read on to learn more about how to breathe new life into spent coffee grounds.

Creating a coffee ground fire starter only takes around 15 minutes of active work before the cooling and hardening process, so it's ideal for DIY beginners intimidated by more involved projects. Once you're ready to get started, create a double boiler over low to medium heat and melt some wax; this can be anything from an old candle to your favorite shredded wax flakes. When the wax is completely liquid, add the coffee grounds (be sure they are completely dry) and mix to form a thick paste. Pour the paste into a mold and let dry completely before use. If you want to incorporate more recycled materials, try using an old egg carton or a used roll of duct tape for the molds.

When you're ready to put your fire starter to the test, remove it from the mold and wrap it in wax paper. You can also add a small candle wick to the firestarter before the cooling process if you want to skip the wax paper altogether. Now, they're ready to ignite! The total burn time for coffee ground fire starters will vary depending on their size, but you can expect the materials to stay lit for 20 minutes if egg-sized and nearly an hour for hockey puck-sized briquettes.

For those who aren't fans of campfires, plenty of unique DIY uses for spent coffee grounds exist. You can use coffee grounds as mulch to add nutrients to soil while reducing the number of weeds that grow or place coffee grounds in the refrigerator to reduce odors. If you live in an area with pesky mosquitoes, your coffee ground fire starter can do more than just fuel the flames; the strong aroma can also repel insects! In addition to mosquitos, coffee grounds are also known to help keep away some types of ants and spiders.

With so many incredible uses for coffee grounds, it's easy to forget there are some scenarios where using them can do more harm than good. Be sure to avoid leaving coffee grounds unattended near pets and furry friends. The grounds contain caffeine and other elements that can be dangerous for animals to ingest. You should also take the steps to properly dispose of any unused grounds, which means never putting them down the sink drain. Instead, add small amounts to a compost pile or store dried grounds in an airtight container for future use.