Grounds are only used once, but it takes more than one basket of grounds to fill the trash. Also, different locations have different demand for the products. Some of them sell a lot of brewed coffee, so there's a lot of fairly wet grounds from the brewing machines, while others sell mostly espressos, lattes, etc, so there's a lot of the dry "hockey pucks" from the espresso machines. Some locations will have the grounds pile up for a few days, while others have different people picking them up at different times throughout the day. Some have more demand for the grounds during the week, and some have more demand on weekends.

I keep a large Rubbermaid container in my car so I don't have to worry about leaky bags. This past weekend, I stopped at one of my usual Starbucks and got enough to slightly overfill the bin and had to leave a couple of bags behind. The time before that, somebody had stopped a few minutes before I got there and cleaned them out.

When's the best time to get them? Just before somebody else stops in.

When's the worst time? Just after somebody else stops in.

One place told me that the best time to stop there is just before closing, but I don't have any near me, so I only stop when I happen to be near one. If you've got one just down the street, you might try stopping in shortly before closing.

Ah thanks that actually helps out. I thought everything they did used some sort of coffee grounds. I was unaware that espressos and lattes leave out a dry "hockey puck" type. That makes more sense.

Like you though I work next to one but don't live near one. So I guess I'll continue to try. I'm also going to try a plastic ice cream bucket here at work and see if I can get away with that. Not sure how that will go since the crew that runs our buildings and stuff run a fairly tight ship.

I've learned a few things in my four years of collecting Starbucks grounds.

1) The two Starbucks near me pitch about 70-90% of their grounds, IMHO. How do I judge? For six months, I went inside the store and on most occasions was given a 20-30 # bag. Once when they had no bags, I asked if they minded if I checked the dumpster. They said OK, so I left with my FOUR bags of grounds I found in the dumpster.

2) Two types of bags of grounds are found in the dumpsters. One is the regular Expresso bags, which are only grounds but are clumpish. The other type is a more loose type of grounds, but they also have trash in it. I DO NOT open the bags at the dumpster. The bags are removed with a special tool which can grasp the knot. The bags are opened at home. Do not try to seperate at the store, you will make a mess and spoil things for everyone.

3) In the last year a five or seven foil bag has shown up at some Starbucks. Nifty, but it must be a PR type of idea from folks who don't garden much. Some weeks of the year I can use 200 pounds for my seven compost piles.

4) I carry two to four Rubbermaids in my hatchback, and a pan and brush in case a bag breaks. I leave the gate in the position the employees left it.

Bob

do what they told me:

"we don't get a lot of poeple asking for them, so next time you need some call a day ahead or that morning and we will save them for you till you come get em."

I go to our local Satrbuck's Saturday mornings around 12. That seems to be the busiest day of the week, but perhaps Sunday would be too.

At my store, they simply open the back door and toss a tied-up white bag on the ground with UCG. Sometimes there are non, and other times several hundred pounds. I never even have to go in the place, I just drive-by and scan the back door.

Wow west9491 that must be nice. I think I know of one that might be in a small location that may do the same thing I might call them and ask. It's just an extra drive for me thought. :( I'm going to try the bucket at work here and see how that pans out. Thanks everyone for your thoughts an suggestions.

I would talk to the people working at the store that is handiest for you. See what they say. See if they have tips or offer to save them for you. Sometimes the workers are young and very clueless, but most of the time they have been super helpful to me.

If they aren't helpful, talk to the manager. It is corporate policy and if they aren't doing it because they think there is no demand, then let them know that there is demand. If they really are being uncooperative, you can remind them that it is corporate policy and bring in a printout from the website to show them, if need be.

You're going to catch a lot more UCGs with honey.

The Starbucks in cities around us all have different policies...none follow the corporate policy online.

My husband went today and they did not have any out...seems mgr didn't like where the box was and told the employees to throw them out.

He has called in the past to see if they have any and left right away only to arrive and learn they had given them to someone else when he left his name, telling them he would be right there and it took all of 10 minutes for him to drive it.

We never get the wet grounds, just hockey pucks so they must be throwing the wet grounds in the dumpster.

IMHO Starbucks wants to appear to be a GREEN company but they don't enforce it to be sure their stores are not adding to the landfills what could be going into gardens and helping Earth instead of hindering.

Peggy

Peggy,
I would be very frustrated in your situation, but I don't know that I would blame SB. It isn't SB fault, IMHO, if the employees are sabatoging their efforts to provide a public service and be green. I think I would hold the employees responsible for not wanting to be bothered to help the planet. Most of the people in my area 'get' it and are willing to help, but maybe your area is not very environmentally aware.

It seems to me you have two choices. Either try to work with the employees and get them to see the light and do their jobs and do the right thing, or go the authoritarian route and complain to the manager's boss or whatever it takes to get SB to 'enforce' things for you. I, personally, would choose the first route. You're going to catch a lot more UCGs with honey. Good luck, whatever you do.

Some, not many, starbucks are not owned by Starbucks but are franchises and the owners of those most likely will not follow all of the corporate policies. The only control there is that corporate can revoke the franchise. Keep in mind that the board of directors has fired the management team they had because of lack of growth and poor profits and brought back the founder of Starbucks to turn the business around, but that could take some time before some hard heads learn how to properly run a store according to corporate policy.

I have 2 SB near me, but it seems that I am always passing one of them. I stop in, and usually get the "hockey pucks". They put them in clear plastic bags for me. Only once have I gone in and was told someone had just been there. I don't get upset as I never even stepped into a SB until I started my pile. Even then I was a bit uneasy about asking for UCG. Once when I went in and asked for grounds, the guy looked at me odd. I told him they were for my garden and I thought it was a great policy they had to give them to gardeners. I had a big bag given to me-I think they went out of their way to find me extra.

Keep trying. Once they know you, you'll have more than you ever imagined.

The free-standing store in town here, when I mustered the courage to ask for UCG, told me that the health inspection folks wouldn't let them hold the grounds -- something about the grounds were considered garbage and so they couldn't leave them out. I didn't know then about the rebagged (in the silver bags) UCG, but I've not been in to ask again. I'm thinking now that they were leaving a bucket of grounds out instead of bags. Or maybe I need to ask another worker.

Hubby, who started out very anti-compost (why go to that trouble when you can buy a truckload for $35?), occasionally goes to a neighboring state for work. He stops at both SB there, gets a few silver bags from one and a garbage bag from the other.

It's amazing how much hotter a pile gets with an infusion of grounds! I didn't think it would make that much difference, but adding the grounds raises the temp on my piles by about 10 degrees.

I'll probably try the local one again. I want to start using some on the front yard once we get through the super hot part of summer here.

Hi, am new to this forum, but am a frequent lurker. May I put in my 2 cents worth? Starbucks aren't the only coffee shops around. Here there are may independent coffee shops, and I always have better luck with them. Some will fill your 5 gallon buckets for you if you leave them.

Ditto clc!

Independent places are more aware of their costs to have their garbage and organics removed which is one of the reasons they respond to your request in a more positive manner. I personally think there's also more of a conscience/sense of responsibility there in general.

I collect more than 200 lbs. of UCGs from one such place in the course of a week. I provide clean buckets and pick-up 5 days a weeks. On my part routine and commitment have kept things coming. :O)

Okay I brought my little ice cream bucket (1 gallon) in to work today with a little note on it and placed it next to the coffee maker. I've already have 3 servings of UCG and the morning isn't even over yet! I'm very excited to start adding these to my bin. If things work out and people are happy to pour them into my bucket instead of the garbage I may place one on the other floor of my building. I'm excited to see how much I get from one day.

(feeling my head... is there something wrong with me getting excited about UCG????)

smokensqueal -- you asked "... is there something wrong with me getting excited about UCG???"
Mercy sakes alive--NO! Welcome to the Wonderful World of Compost Addiction!! LOL
I'd write more, but this thread reminded me I forgot to go check Starbucks for UCG today... :-)