Reuse K-Cups As Seed Starters

by susan_k in Craft > Reuse

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Reuse K-Cups As Seed Starters

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So, there has been no shortage of guilt-inducing press-coverage about the wastefulness of K-cups. 

And it does seem like a horrible waste in the name of convenience, to use these self-contained, filtered coffee brewers for one-time only. Especially when they have such promising potential for reuse as an effective seed starter. 

I did not know about the inside filter until I peeled the lid off a used cup, out of curiosity. 

I dumped out about a tablespoon of coffee grounds into the garbage, and replaced it with potting soil.

The same design elements that make k-cups good at brewing coffee make it great for starting seedlings, since the soil gets good drainage from the filter and bottom-hole.  

I would love to see a coffee company start to make these out of heat-resistant bioplastic so that that gardeners could just plant the whole k-cup into the ground.