Mapo-gu Expands Door-to-Door Collection of 1,800 Tons of Coffee Grounds Annually to Promote Resource Recycling

Expansion of Coffee Grounds Recycling Pilot Project to Door-to-Door Collection for All Coffee Shops
Participation of Over 1,500 Local Coffee Shops Enables Annual Recycling of 1,800 Tons of Waste

Mapo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Park Gang-su) is switching the coffee grounds collection method to doorstep collection to reduce household waste and promote resource circulation.

Previously, this was conducted only for some coffee shops participating in the coffee grounds recycling project, but from October 2024, all coffee shops in the area will be able to participate.

The district conducted a pilot project targeting 100 coffee shops from June to December 2023, collecting and recycling about 65 tons of coffee grounds.

In 2024, the pilot project was expanded to 165 locations, collecting a total of 128 tons of coffee grounds by September.

Based on the results of this pilot project, the district expanded the coffee grounds collection system to a doorstep collection method, establishing a system that allows all coffee shops in the area to dispose of coffee grounds.

According to the new collection method, coffee shops (excluding business waste disposal sites) should place transparent bags containing coffee grounds in front of their stores from sunset to midnight on the same days as household waste disposal (Sunday to Thursday), and the cleaning contractor will collect them.

Through this, coffee shops gain two benefits: reduced disposal costs and practicing resource circulation.

With the introduction of this doorstep collection method, approximately 1,500 coffee shops in Mapo-gu recycling an average of 3.5 kg of coffee grounds per day will result in about 5 tons per day and approximately 1,800 tons annually of waste being recycled as reusable fuel instead of incineration or landfill.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We have been leading policies to reduce household waste and achieve carbon neutrality through initiatives such as zero-incineration stores, recycled textile projects, and coffee grounds recycling projects. Now that the coffee grounds collection method has been expanded to doorstep collection, we ask for the cooperation and participation of many coffee shops.”