Kent Company Turns Coffee Grounds into Eco-Friendly Plant Food

A firm in Kent is turning used coffee grounds from cafes and restaurants in Canterbury into plant food pellets. Countrystyle Recycling will make these pellets available in garden centers and to horticulturists.

Currently, a significant amount of coffee grounds generated by the leisure and hospitality sector ends up in general waste and is sent to landfill.

Martin Heathcote, the chief executive of Countrystyle Recycling, stated, "We’re a local company, and we want the community to join us on our journey toward a circular waste economy. Recycling one tonne of coffee grounds through our scheme saves 580 kg of CO2 that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere if they went to landfill—equivalent to driving 1,400 miles!"

He described the coffee pellets as "rocket fuel" for plants, as they provide essential nutrients, and these will be available for gardeners next year.

Anna Carpenter, owner of Café No 35 in Canterbury, has joined the recycling initiative. She remarked, “It’s a wonderful sustainability story that aligns perfectly with our values. We’re passionate about great coffee and equally committed to plants. Café No 35 is known as the garden café, making it a perfect fit.”

The initiative has also received support from Canterbury Business Improvement District (BID). Chief executive Lisa Carlson noted, “Canterbury has over 180 restaurants, cafes, and hotels that produce a substantial amount of coffee, so it’s fantastic for them to have the opportunity to recycle and repurpose coffee grounds for an eco-friendly use.”

The UK generates 250,000 tonnes of used coffee grounds each year.