How to recycle espresso cups and saucers

Who doesn’t have a cupboard full of old ceramic espresso cup and saucer sets that have seen better days? Unfortunately, over time they tend to become more delicate and break more easily. Their colours also tend to fade, given the number of times they are washed through the years.

Also, often on a daily basis we prefer other espresso cups, so don’t even use them anymore… What can we do? The dustbin isn’t the only solution: all it takes is a little dedication and our DIY ideas for creative recycling to breather a whole new life into ceramic espresso cups and saucers.

How to recycle ceramic espresso cups and saucers correctly

If you decide to throw the cups in the bin, we’d like to give you some useful information to ensure that you recycle them correctly (speaking of which, do you know how to recycle coffee pods and capsules?). Ceramic and porcelain must not be thrown away in the glass collection: the presence of glass inside these items might trick you, but remember: they are also made with clay, aluminium, sand and other elements.

The best way to dispose of ceramic espresso cups and saucers is to put them in the general waste, making sure you wrap them in plastic bags or newspaper to prevent the risk of splinters causing harm.

Creative recycling for espresso cups and saucers

As we were saying, all you need to restore these objects is a little creativity! With a touch of imagination we can re-use them, but for a different purpose from their original one. Here are some DIY ideas for creative recycling!

DIY ideas: candleholder

Let’s start from the easiest idea. All you need to do is fill an espresso cup with scented wax, place a candlewick in the middle and you’re all set: you have just created a pretty candleholder!

DIY ideas: vases for cactuses

Want to create a small garden in your home? Espresso cups and bigger cappuccino cups are ideal for making into small vases for cactuses or other small/medium plants. All you need to do is fill them with some soil and the plants of your choice. You can also create original combinations with different colours and patterns!

Those with green fingers might also want to find out how to reuse coffee grounds or learn about alternatives for coffee past its expiry date.

DIY ideas: lamps

Another adorable DIY idea is to create a lamp. And it’s also easy to do: with the help of a small power saw, remove the central part of your espresso cup and saucer, then glue the two pieces together and hang them on a shelf or a wall to which the light bulbs are already attached, passing them through the vacant space. Your new lamp is ready!

Have you found a way to recycle your old sets? It’s time to replace them with new ones: discover the refined espresso and cappuccino cups in fine Italian ceramic branded Caffè Aiello.