Staying grounded

Reduce food waste and treat yourself with this magical coffee scrub

Story by Sicily Fiennes | @sfiennes
Image by Erin Chapman | @erins_illustrations

CAUTION:
Coconut oil can block drains as it solidifies at low temperatures. Be wary if washing off down the sink or shower.

One of my favourite zero waste hacks is the magical coffee scrub. Coffee scrub is thought to tone and tighten skin and is a natural exfoliant!

If like me you drink espresso coffee from a mocha pot or a cafetière, then there’s a lot you can do with your coffee grounds. I like to save mine (can save in a tub at room temperature after a few rounds of coffee) and then bake them in a tray for 5-10 mins to dry them out.

The recipe I use makes a slightly stickier scrub, which you can wash off properly with soap after. I prefer this as you know the coconut oil base has really soaked into your skin! If that’s not your bag, try a little less oil in your recipe.

You need:

• 1/2 a cup of your baked coffee
• 1/2 a cup of brown sugar (use finer sugar if you have sensitive skin)
• 1/2 of melted or room temperature coconut oil or olive oil (you want the scrub to be well combined)
• I usually add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, but you could also have some essential oils like jojoba and other complementing smells or even a touch of argan oil.

I always use mine quickly but allegedly this can last for up to 2 months. If you make extra or too much, scoop some into a jar and give some to a friend or a neighbour!

I started doing this over 2 years ago. I was noticing the amount of coffee grounds I was using and throwing away, and after I won some coffee scrub at a pot-luck sustainable gift swap at Christmas, I never looked back.

I made some for my Mum for Christmas and the invigorating coffee smell in the air was really enjoyable for her and made her feel awake. She had stopped drinking coffee, but it’s another way to enjoy it if you’re caffeine free.

It’s revolutionized my thinking about waste! Every product you use probably has the potential for a second life. You think more about what you physically throw in the bin, and it actually helped me to convince my family to make more homemade gifts and to get a compost bin at home.

Trying these things also made me feel more excited about my consumption and how I could make delicious things for me to enjoy that are also better for the planet. Even the simple, gross, fundamental architecture of our lives such as what you through down the sink can still be useful and enjoyable!

Sicily is co-founder of the Climate Collective | @theclimatecollective