Lucas: Wait, don’t throw those coffee grounds into the trash.
Carlos: Because …?
Lucas: I compost them. They’re great for the soil in my garden.
Carlos: Coffee grounds are good for dirt?
Lucas: Yup! The coffee grounds can be turned into rich soil. Microorganisms help break down food and lawn waste to change it into compost. The compost can help plants grow.
Carlos: So the coffee grounds make your plants better?
Lucas: Exactly! It’s a win-win situation. The plants are better, and the coffee grounds don’t end up in a landfill.
Now let’s review the vocabulary
To compost means to change organic material, such as leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, etc., into a decayed mixture that is used to improve the soil in a lawn or garden.
Yup: This is a very informal way to say “yes.”
Break down means to decompose. When something breaks down, it is reduced to its smallest parts.
Win-win: This means providing a good result for everyone or everything involved. A win-win situation means that everyone or everything has a good result.
A landfill is an area where garbage is dumped and covered with dirt. It is where garbage is buried.