Coffee Grounds Become a Resource... Yeongdeungpo District Recruits Coffee Shops for "Coffee Bak Recycling" Project

Just Put It in a Clear Plastic Bag... Collected Every Monday and Thursday Evening
Apply Through the District Website... All Coffee Shops Welcome to Join

Yeongdeungpo District (District Mayor Choi Hokwon) announced that it will expand its resource circulation project to recycle coffee grounds, known as "coffee bak," into eco-friendly compost and other materials, and is recruiting coffee shops to participate in the project throughout the year.

In an era where it is hard to imagine a day without coffee, per capita coffee consumption in Korea continues to rise. However, most of the coffee grounds left after making a cup of Americano are disposed of in standard waste bags and either incinerated or landfilled. This process emits greenhouse gases, and the disposal of coffee bak has emerged as a new environmental issue.

In response, since last year the district has been promoting the "coffee bak recycling project," working with around 270 local coffee shops to turn coffee bak into eco-friendly compost and other resources. Over the past year, approximately 64 tons of coffee bak were collected, reducing the volume of general standard waste collected by 0.14%.

This year, the district aims to expand the number of participating businesses to over 500 by intensifying publicity among the approximately 1,100 coffee shops in the area, with the goal of reducing the collected waste volume by more than 1%. In particular, the district plans to provide focused guidance in areas with a high concentration of cafes to establish a leading resource circulation system.

Businesses participating in the project should place uncontaminated coffee bak in transparent plastic bags and dispose of them in front of their premises or at designated locations every Monday and Thursday between 8:00 p.m. and midnight. The district's waste collection and transportation contractors will handle the collection, and the coffee bak will be recycled into compost, fuel pellets (compressed solid fuel), synthetic wood, livestock bedding, and other products.

Applications to participate can be submitted via the "Environment" section on the district's official website, with priority given to businesses that generate more than 2 kilograms of coffee bak per day. For more information, contact the district's Cleaning Department.

Choi Hokwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, stated, "This is a great opportunity to easily dispose of coffee bak and participate in resource circulation," and called for the active interest and participation of local coffee shop owners.