CU Introduces Eco-Friendly Coffee Grounds Deck Made from Coffee Bean Residue

CU introduces coffee grounds decks made by upcycling coffee residue in stores.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] CU announced on the 24th that it will introduce coffee grounds decks made by upcycling coffee grounds at its stores. Coffee grounds refer to the coffee byproduct left after extracting coffee from coffee beans, commonly called coffee grounds. Only 0.2% of the coffee bean is extracted as coffee, and the remaining 99.8% becomes coffee grounds.

CU is establishing an upcycling system where resources are recycled through its network of over 15,000 stores nationwide and will pilot operate coffee grounds decks at stores to prevent environmental pollution caused by coffee grounds. CU is the first convenience store headquarters to introduce coffee grounds decks at the franchise headquarters level.

The coffee grounds deck is a composite wood containing more than 20% coffee grounds. Compared to commonly used preservative wood decks, it has less deformation such as splitting and warping and has strong durability against external environments like temperature and precipitation. It also provides the aroma and deodorizing effects characteristic of coffee beans. Additionally, if the deck needs to be dismantled depending on the store situation, the assembled deck can be disassembled as is and 100% recycled. The coffee grounds decks introduced by CU have secured safety in tests for various harmful substances and environmental hormones and cost about 23% more than general preservative wood decks.

Approximately 1,700 tons of coffee grounds are generated annually from the instant coffee beans (Get Coffee) sold at CU. Assuming all coffee grounds collected at stores are upcycled, coffee grounds decks made from Get Coffee beans can be installed at about 4,000 stores. BGF Retail plans to expand the introduction of coffee grounds decks based on franchise and customer feedback after testing in some new stores.

A BGF Retail official said, “Coffee grounds decks are eco-friendly materials already commercialized in Europe and other regions, but CU is the first in the domestic convenience store industry to introduce coffee grounds decks under the leadership of the franchise headquarters,” adding, “We will actively design a resource circulation system where coffee grounds generated from over 15,000 CU stores nationwide can be 100% upcycled.”