Brooklyn Queens Land Trust

Recycling Tea and Coffee

May 21, 2004

Recycling Tea and Coffee


Your first instinct may be to toss tea bags and coffee filters after they?’ve fulfilled their duties, but if you rethink that notion, you?’ll find they can also be used in the garden, in moderate amounts. Even the local Starbucks recognizes this and if you ask to speak to the manager, they will often give you their used filters. They are not doing something illegal because it is considered community service by the company.

Add used tea leaves and coffee grounds to the compost pile, and use the compost as mulch; or simply mix them into the ground occasionally, letting the nutrients enrich the soil. (Be sure to remove the tags, strings, and staples from tea bags before using them in the garden.) You?’ll see a noticeable difference in your acid-loving plants, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberry shrubs.