Hmmmm.... maybe my flies have more attractive stuff than UCG .... becaue the buckets full of SB UCG don't seem to attract any. The gist of these messages was to keep trying to find a way that works for each store manager. /////////////////// snips from another thread on subject of SB: ]] I no longer get in the customer line, in case that annoys. I go over by the end of the counter where the opening is. The busy cashier may not want to be bothered with me, but another less busy person usually will ask if they can help me. ]] The woman running the place told me they do the grounds thing for gardening in spring because otherwise they aren't picked up. Even here in Louisiana. I told her I compost year round and I would be happy to pick them up. She did not mind saving them for someone but her main concern about saving them was they could not be left in the store overnight. I told her I probably could pick them up a few times a week and asked if I just stopped by if I could get what they had and she said sure. I was thrilled. ]] Our local starbucks puts UCG in heavy-duty trashbags (maybe 25lbs each), tie a knot in the top and places these in a neat wooden container on the back porch. They are available year round. I usually get 3-4 each trip and I don't even go inside! I have probably composted 10 bags of their grounds for every 1 cup I have purchased...:)[this post from mendopete .. so suspect the mendocino area] ]] Last week I finally went by my local Starbucks to ask about getting used grounds. The staff were really enthusiastic and said it was no problem at all, tell every gardener that I know about them. I took in two clean five gallon pails and they have filled them both every day for me for the last week! Today the manager stopped me and gave me some mumbo jumbo about not being able to have my clean, bag-lined white pails on his floor. Something about Starbucks policy or local health bylaws. He was unsure of why he was telling me that I could not leave buckets. I gave him my best "whatever is best for you, I just really appreciate your help :-)," and he agreed to keep supplying me, but I was left feeling somewhat uncomfortable. I had heard from some of the counter staff that the new manager was not big on saving grounds for gardeners, so I was not totally surprised. ]] As a former Starbucks employee, and a current AssMan at another chain coffee place, I can tell you that there *is* a bit of concern regarding buckets of grinds left sitting around. This isn't a problem, if people come to pick up the buckets.. but can result in a bit of a hassle for the store if they get forgotten for days on end. A couple of reasons. Space is one. The SB where I worked had virtually NO back room. A hallway with the manager's desk, shelving up to the ceiling, and the sink. There was no room for more than two people back there, let alone extra stuff. And yes.. that evil dreaded health board. Depending on who you have checking out the premises, there's no reasoning with these people if they see 'garbage' stored under your counters etc. Surprise inspections are a stressful thing, even for a place that knows they're up to code. Having something around that could get a frown from the inspector does get a managers heart racing. Having a 'fresh' bucket of grinds is usually managable. When you're not scared to open it and show the inspector. No mold, no smell. Just 'Grinds for Gardener Steve'. He'll be by at 4 to get em'. Not so bad. But if they've been sitting there a few days because Steve forgot *again* to pick them up.. that poses a bit of a problem. SB has gotten around this, by launching their Grounds for Gardeners' program. The grounds are labelled and actually displayed. This helps a great deal. And people who take a garbage bag, there's no complaint there. Though Im sad to see that most SB in my area now are combining ground garbage with other garbage. When I asked the other day, I was told they didn't do that until the spring. I suggested I just take their ground garbage off their hands, and they told me it was all combined. Boo. They said they only separate them in the warm months around here. It's disappointing. But it's good to hear that they're not all doing it. I wonder: In the cities that have composting programs. Toronto etc.. does SB and other coffee places have a'grounds bin' that goes? Or are those composting programs not for businesses? ]]FWIW, the SB near my home collects them on request. I call in the morning on a weekend, and by mid afternoon they've got a nice large trashbag full. They said they used to bag them without request, but not enough people took them, so they gave up. ]] After reading about their corporate commitment to give grounds away, I called my local Starbucks ahead of time, spoke with the manager and introduced myself. I work across the street two days a week and we agreed that I would bring in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid, in the morning and pick it up at the end of the day. I went to a local paint shop that supplies contractors (Sherwin-Williams) and they happily sold me 3 super solid plain grey 5 gallon buckets with very tight fitting lids for $3.50 CAD each (this could be a problem if closed by accident by SB people as they have to be pried open with a screwdriver... so far, I have just kept the lids in my car and no-one at SB has asked for one). I drop off the bucket in the morning and pick it up on my way home after work. People are friendly, even excited about seeing the grounds go to good use and usually offer to help me carry it out, which I decline. I want this to be easy as pie and a full bucket weighs about 30 lbs I think, so quite manageable for me to carry. ]] Some Starbucks supervisory folks and local "health" officials looking for minute "problems" have raised "issues" (I am a physician once worked for a county health department so I know how the system "works.") We've managed to overcome all objections. Support from local employees has ranged from one manager who had the employees come to her home to enjoy a meal based on the vegetables we'd been providing to an "eye-roller" greeting us with little enthusiasm. Just hang in there and remain unfailingly pleasant. ]] have been having poor results getting UCGs lately, but I walked in to Starbucks today, too embarrassed to ask for anymore, and the manager acually asked ME if I wanted any. She said she had "about 8 million tons of them" saved. I really almost teared up. :) It didn't turn out to be quite that much, but a good sized bag, and a nice barista even offered to carry them out for me! Yay! Here is a link that might be useful: Thank You SB thread

Thanks for the heads up. I used to get bags of if when I was working for a auto pts. mfg. co. Had coffee machines all over the offices and factory and I had the maintenance people save them for me. Got about 2 bushels a week. But have been retired for 23 yrs now, and I drink only instance coffee. Max is 2 cups a day. Will check into this as I can sure use them when I'll be making my new hosta beds in the spring.

In general, don't buy ahead. Buying something like an aga, which is a major, central decision, for layout, design and tone, is one thing. Most people aren't deciding between an aga kitchen or a sleek induction cooktop at the last minute, right? But there are many reasons to hold off buying most everything else. Even though you SWEAR you love it and have loved it for ages and won't change your mind. Projects get delayed. This is fact. Warehouses can lose things, or have forklifts back into them. Yes, they may pay up in the end, but do you really need the hassle? Can't you just wait until the sale you KNOW they're going to have 3 months later? Measurements change and you may need a different amount (for something like tile, or an extra lighting fixture). There are all kinds of reasons you might suddenly need more that are not within your control. Things get lost, damaged or stolen. Or the pieces that go with them do, and you can't prove they were never sent, because the stuff arrived a year ago. They can go out of warranty while they sit waiting to be installed. Or become discontinued, or the company doesn't support that line any more and you can't return it, or ask questions or get the trim kit etc. And, believe it or not, your tastes can change. Or a company can bring out something that is just better. Or better AND cheaper. Or you need to move, or you have a baby or something else happens. A few things -- fine. If you find a really unbeatable deal on something you know you're going to need, you might spring. But don't fill the basement. People say "Craigslist" but you only get a small portion of what you paid. I used a lot of antique lighting, which you don't just go out in a day and buy, so I bought some stuff ahead. But I was very, very glad that I did not buy some things I was tempted to. Even though my tastes didn't change, things I couldn't have predicted changed things enough that I would have not ordered right. A good contractor should keep you well informed so you can order things at the right times. Tell him if you're looking at something, like custom tile or cabinets, that take an unusually long time to order and must be made in a single lot. Good luck!

My thought on this is that if it's lots of coffee and there are leaves, just mix them up and use as mulch or leave on the ground. Or compost for however long is practical at first - a big pile of coffee grounds and leaves is sufficient. But within reason (not super thick layers), coffee grounds directly on the soil (lightly raked or hoed to mix a bit with soil) becomes indistinguishable pretty quickly. YMMV depending on climate, I know some say coffee that dries too much can become crusty and hydrophobic, I don't have that problem. I've put coffee on lawn and lightly raked, within days not noticeable. TL/DR version, it may not be necessary to compost coffee at all - just apply. Note, NOT saying to use in containers.