A Nitrogen "Green"

• Coffee, in spite of its dark brown color, is considered a "green" for composting. The nitrogen-heavy composition makes it a good complement to a pile of autumn leaves, a bale of hay or straw.
  
  

Mix Carefully

• Wet coffee grounds may clump together in the compost., especially if they come from an espresso machine. It is best to mix the grounds thoroughly to ensure they are available to all parts of the compost pile.
  
  

Too Much Coffee

• Excessive coffee in the compost leads to an imbalance of nitrogen. This may cause an ammonia odor for a few days as the nitrogen is used up. Stirring the pile and adding more carbon based organics will eliminate the odor.