Hong Kong people love coffee. On average, each of us drinks over 160 cups a year. Most people either rely on it as energy-booster or drink it as a social activity with friends. Most coffee lovers, however, probably haven’t given much thought to where all those used coffee grounds go, as well as the environmental impacts of mass coffee consumption.

To help boost environmental awareness and as part of its effort to create more green space at Tai Wo Plaza, in August Link set up the “Dazzling Glass House” at the outdoor space of the shopping mall’s East Wing. Link also launched “Green Weekend Workshops” – featuring creative uses for used coffee grounds – to help promote recycling among the community.

Parents and children try their hands at tie-dyeing

On a stormy Saturday afternoon in August, Link and Fair Trade Hong Kong held a joint workshop at Tai Wo Plaza covering planting, dyeing and making handmade soap with used coffee grounds. Undeterred by the weather, many parents came with their children, hoping to use the event as an opportunity to teach them more about green living. Kelvin Chow, Senior Project Officer at Fair Trade Hong Kong, showed students how to tie-dye different patterns onto pieces of white cloth and turn them into creative artworks.

Having hosted workshops at Lok Fu Place and the Link Sustainability Lab, this was Kelvin’s first experience with teaching at the outdoor area of a community shopping mall. “The setting today made me feel closer to the day-to-day lives of people in the community,” he said. “This interactive activity included parents and children, helping spread the concepts of sustainable development and environmental protection.”

After learning about it from the promotion poster, Wendy decided to bring along her son Given to the event. They were hooked by Kelvin’s demonstration: first he used rubber bands to tighten the pieces of white cloth folded into various shapes. Then the pieces of white cloth were put into water boiled with used coffee grounds for 20 minutes, before the patterns became visible.

“That was fun” was the reaction from little Given upon seeing his own artwork, showing that the day was enriching for all despite the fact that Given and other children are probably too young to grasp the concept of green living. To Wendy, the biggest reward was seeing how Given was able to focus at the workshop, and most importantly, his happiness.

Miss So attended the workshop with her daughter WaWa. She said green events like this are meaningful as they provide children the opportunity to learn about recycling and handmade art. She suggested Link host more similar workshops at its properties in future.

At the heart of this workshop was the idea of recycling. Using coffee grounds to dye fabrics, said Kelvin, was one example of how waste from coffee can be repurposed. Boiled used coffee grounds can also serve as effective mosquito and bug repellents. Kelvin sees the potential of future recycling workshops on other food wastes. “For example, vegetable roots and fruit peels can be made into safe and natural pigments.”

Used coffee grounds as compost for organic farming

In addition to dyeing fabrics and repelling bugs, used coffee grounds also make good compost for growing plants. The instructor at a separate workshop pointed out that the minerals in used coffee grounds can help improve soil and allow plants to grow better. When used as topsoil, they can also repel bugs and snails, and keep pets away from plants.

Cheuk-jau, a first-time recycling workshop participant who came to the workshop accompanied by her mother, carefully placed the soil into a small potted plant. Proudly naming the plant “Jasper”, she also told us she had so much fun that next time, she wants to bring along her cousin to the workshop!

McDonald's Tai Wo restaurant is also providing used coffee grounds for the workshop. Randy Lai, CEO of McDonald's Hong Kong, said that "Link and McDonald's share the same vision in regard to sustainability. Our goal is that the Tai Wo restaurant will encourage the next generation to protect the planet and lead the industry towards implementing sustainable development. As sustainability cannot be driven by a single company or individual, we are pleased to collaborate with Link's team.”