THOUSAND OAKS : Coffee Shops to Give Compost a Free Perk

Back-yard compost piles can get a major jolt for free this winter, as Thousand Oaks coffeehouses donate their used java grounds to local gardeners.

Coffee grounds are guaranteed to perk up the garbage-gnawing bacteria that chomp through compost heaps to break waste products into organic fertilizer. With the addition of grounds--either instant or gourmet--a compost heap’s temperature can soar to 150 degrees, boosted by the energy generated by super-charged bacteria.

“It’s a wonderful ingredient,” said Carolyn Greene, the city’s environmental services coordinator. “It really makes the compost go.”

Compost-less gardeners can also take advantage of used coffee grounds to nourish certain acid-loving plants, including gardenias, azaleas and camellias, Greene said.

Eager to reuse their refuse, half a dozen local coffeehouse owners have agreed to set aside their java grounds for gardeners. Just call ahead to reserve a pile of high-voltage, richly scented fertilizer.

Participating coffeehouses include Bent on Coffee, Gloria Jean’s Coffee Bean, Java City, Marianne’s Coffee Mill, Mocha Mania and Starbucks.

“I think it’s great,” said Bent Hartvig, who gives away up to 50 pounds of coffee grounds a week and dumps the leftovers in flower beds behind his Bent on Coffee store.

“I have a lot of young people working here, and they got me really pumped up about this,” Hartvig said. “They make sure I do it every week.”