Gwanak-gu Focuses on Collecting Coffee Grounds for Eco-Friendly Compost Use

Secured Budget for Seoul City Coffee Grounds Collection and Recycling Promotion Project... Expanded to 416 Collection Sites... Coffee Grounds from Coffee Shops Transformed into Eco-Friendly, Odorless High-Quality Fertilizer

Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Jun-hee) is taking a step closer to becoming a sustainable resource-circulating city by recycling coffee grounds discharged from coffee specialty stores.

Coffee grounds differ from general compost made by recycling livestock manure in that they do not produce unpleasant odors and retain the unique aroma of coffee, making them recognized as high-quality eco-friendly compost.

Since 2018, the district has been collecting coffee grounds, which are mostly discarded as household waste at local coffee specialty stores, free of charge and recycling them into compost. In 2023, by selecting a collection agency and significantly expanding the number of cafes subject to collection, the amount of coffee grounds collected increased 31 times compared to the previous year.

This year, the district was selected for the Seoul City-led "Coffee Grounds Collection and Recycling Activation Support" project and secured a budget of 80 million KRW. Through this, it plans to sign contracts with professional collection companies and increase the number of cafes subject to collection to 416 by December of this year.

The cafes subject to collection are coffee specialty stores near major subway stations in the area such as ▲Sillim Station ▲Seoul National University Entrance Station ▲Sadang Station. When coffee grounds are placed in collection containers in front of the stores three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), environmental officers and professional collection companies visit the next day to collect them.

The coffee grounds collection containers provided by the district have a capacity of 25ℓ, allowing participating stores to collect coffee grounds hygienically and efficiently. The use of standardized containers also facilitates a smooth collection process.

District Mayor Park Jun-hee stated, "We will contribute to environmental protection and resource conservation by recycling the increasing coffee grounds from rising coffee consumption into eco-friendly compost." He added, "In particular, to respond to the ban on direct landfill of metropolitan area household waste in 2026, we will do our best to increase the recycling rate of resources."