Nonprofit turns coffee grounds into compost

NEW YORK (PIX11) – When you think of compost, coffee grounds don’t necessarily come to mind. But turns out it’s an effective way to keep trees healthy and also keeps away pesky rodents.

Alexander Encarnacao is the operations manager at Seven Grams Caffe in Hudson Square. Established in 2014, this location is one of three in Manhattan. Its name is an ode to the true Italian standard, where the perfect espresso shot is made out of exactly seven grams of ground premium coffee. Now they’re serving up a different kind of brew with the leftover coffee grounds.

Instead of throwing it out, they’ve decided to team up with the Hudson Square Business Improvement District to turn the nitrogen-rich waste into nutrient-rich compost to care for the bid’s more than 500 trees.

For over a decade, the BID has overseen the transformation of Manhattan’s former Printing District into a thriving creative hub. When it comes to executing projects, being environmentally conscious is a top priority. 

"What we focus on is providing the trees with rich nutrient-filled soil. You see some tree pits that aren’t looking so great they’re dry the roots popping up," says Hudson Square Bid's operation specialist Sean Lewin.

Now their goal is to encourage others to join their mission. Naima Freitas is a biology teacher at City-as-School. The high school joined the bid’s greening efforts and has made this project part of its curriculum where high school students learn the science behind how coffee grounds help trees thrive.

"The pH is important because nutrients can be in the soil. But if the PH isn’t at the right level, the pH can actually prevent the nutrients from dissolving into the water," she says.

With 7 being neutral, Plants need a slightly acidic level of about 6.5. The coffee grounds and mulch mixture bring the pH to the right level that can help to strengthen roots while protecting our environment.

According to a study by the Journal of Cleaner Production, as much as 60 million tons of coffee grounds are thrown out each year —and when they end up in landfills, it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas that could have a negative impact on our environment. Hudson Square Bid says it plans to continue its green initiative through the winter and follow up on the results in the spring.