Coffee Fire Logs
Fire logs made from spent coffee grounds are a product made from a recycled material that may offer one solution to the problem of waste in coffee production. There is no specific, established local government system for recycling this waste product, and while some councils offer assistance in composting, or green waste bins that accept kitchen scraps, coffee grounds are too acidic to be used on their own, in bulk in most gardening applications.[1] As a result, a number of companies and individuals have developed recipes for the production of solid fuel made from coffee grounds.[2][3][4]
Coffee fire log production can be done at home, with minimal equipment. Spent coffee is first dried, then mixed with other materials to help it keep it's form and increase the rate at which it burns. Dried coffee grounds on their own typically smoulder at a slow rate and may be extinguished by a breeze. Additives such as parafin wax, animal fat, wood shavings and more can improve the way in which the product burns.
Do it yourself[edit]
The following is a non-exhaustive list of instructions for how to produce firelogs from spent coffee grounds.
- https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-FireLog/
- https://www.ehow.com/how_4866384_make-log-using-coffee-grounds.html
- https://recyclopaedia.org.au/wiki/The_Avenue#Fire_Bricks
Commercial products[edit]
A number of companies have proprietary recipes for coffee fire bricks, which they sell on a commercial basis. Some, such as Melbourne's Zero Impact offer collection for cafes and other sources of coffee grounds. The following is a non-exhaustive list of companies offering recycled coffee firelogs as commercial products:
Related developments[edit]
Tealight candles with a sprinkling of coffee grounds make for an excellent mosquito repellent. Fire starters can be made using similar ingredients to coffee fire bricks.