Seesaw Coffee, a (Shanghai-HQ’ed) chain of 17 cafes (as of this writing), offers free cups of their used coffee grounds in this branch of their store in Nanshan, Shenzhen. Useful for anyone interested in, as they claim, either a “natural fertilizer” 天然花肥 or a “natural deodorant” 天然除味剂.

Consider the behaviors this gesture is designed to encourage, and what it is meant to signal about who Seesaw’s brand endeavors to attract. What does the placement (front and center next to the cashier) say? What are the other potential underlying motivations on Seesaw’s part to offering their used coffee grounds to customers in this way? Does your local coffee chain offer this service – either explicitly or implicitly? If not, could you ever imagine them doing so? How might that offering look, if brought to life in your context?