The flower and vegetable gardens of a group of Saint Joseph’s Hospital employees are getting a few jolts of caffeine--figuratively anyway.

This past summer, the hospital implemented a coffee grounds recycling program. Instead of dumping the used coffee grounds in the garbage for disposal at landfills, the hospital offers the used grounds to employees, to the tune of more than 1,230 pounds a month. It’s all part of the hospital’s ongoing “Going Green” initiative. The grounds, from Four Seasons Cafeteria and Seasons Catering, are available to employees on a first come-first serve basis. There are currently 77 employees who are collecting and recycling the grounds in their gardens.

“I worked them into the ground around my rose bushes and some of my other flowers,” said Bonnie Bargender, an inventory clerk at the hospital. “I’ve really noticed a difference in my plants this summer since I started using them. My Yucca plant has almost doubled in size. I also add them to my compost bin.”

The hospital’s Food & Nutrition Services provides the grounds in one-gallon plastic containers which are sturdy, re-usable and theirs to keep. Each container holds about seven pounds. The coffee filters, which are biodegradable and good for the compost pile, are included with the grounds.  The hospital goes through about 177 containers per month, or six per day.

“This is a win-win situation for everyone,” said Elizabeth King, executive assistant in Administration. “It’s great to be able to recycle items of our everyday living into useful tools for other things to flourish. I’m able to quickly pick up the grounds and use them in my gardens. I know my veggies will be bigger and better next season because of it.”

According to the University of Wisconsin Extension, the grounds are nearly pH neutral, as acid leaches out during brewing. They are also nitrogen-rich, and a popular replacement for manure for those concerned about possible pathogens in the manure.