HAVE you ever scrubbed your butt with old coffee grounds?

Well, waste warrior Sharka Hornakova will teach you how to exfoliate and be nice to the environment at the same time in her Coffee Body Scrub Workshop.

Instead of chucking old coffee grounds in the bin, she upcycles them into an invigorating body scrub.

• Old coffee grounds can be used as fertiliser in the garden

“Incorporating used coffee grounds into body scrub offers benefits like improved circulation, unclogged pores and reduced inflammation,” Hornakova says.

“It’s a sustainable choice that promotes skin health, fights ageing, and supports environmental responsibility by encouraging the reuse of spent coffee grounds.”

Upcycling coffee grounds, recycling beer can clips and reusing hessian bags are just some of the initiatives Hornakova has undertaken through her social enterprise Donut Waste.

Formed in 2021, it aims to foster a “sustainable circular economy” by collecting used coffee grounds from numerous cafes across Greater Perth and setting up collection points for plastic beer can clips.

A former waste education officer at Stirling Council, Hornakova runs a number of workshops on sustainability including home composting 101 and DIY plastic-free deodorant.

• A collection point for beer can clips at Liquor Barons in Bayswater

“I started Donut Waste to create a tangible impact on my local environment and community,” she says. “It’s a mission to significantly contribute to reducing the environmental impact of our daily actions. 

“I’m committed to inspiring others to join the movement towards a greener and more responsible world.”

Hornakova says she was inspired to become a waste warrior after working in the hospitality industry for years and witnessing “the sheer amount of waste” while on the long and arduous journey to getting her permanent residency.

• Waste warrior Sharka Hornakova with a reused hessian bag.

She eventually left hospitality and became a personal trainer and yoga instructor, but that all changed in 2018 when she printed off the WA Waste Strategy and got hooked. 

“I then worked as a communications manager at Total Green Recycling for two and a half years, becoming the e-waste specialist,” she says.

“I have since completed the diploma of Sustainable Living with the University of Tasmania and taken several courses on circular economy practices. I still teach yoga on the side.”

Hornakova live in Balga, but says the City of Stirling hasn’t been very receptive to her workshops, while Fremantle has welcomed her with open arms.

“The City of Fremantle has been very supportive,” she says. 

“Unfortunately, we don’t collect coffee grounds south of the river due to the cost of fuel and time (we’d need a lot of cafes at once to sign up to make it worthwhile).

“However, we do have many collection points for beer clips, including the City’s Container for Change point, and we encourage all bottle shops to get on board with collecting clips.”

The Coffee Body Scrub Workshop is on Friday November 24, 11am at Fremantle Library in Walyalup Koort. Tix at eventbrite.com.au. To find out more about Donut Waste go to donutwaste.com.au