Starbucks Donates 200 Tons of Coffee Compost to Young Farms

10,000 Bags of Eco-Friendly Coffee Compost Provided Free of Charge

On December 21, Starbucks Korea announced that it will donate 10,000 bags of eco-friendly coffee compost, totaling 200 tons, to 21 outstanding young farms across 17 regions nationwide, selected by the Korea Agency of Education, Promotion and Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (EPIS).

Since 2015, Starbucks has partnered with Gyeonggi Province to promote agricultural product consumption and resource recycling, repurposing coffee grounds generated at its stores into eco-friendly coffee compost and delivering it to local farms.

In 2016, Starbucks became the first in the industry to sign a business agreement with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (formerly the Ministry of Environment) and the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network for a pilot project to promote coffee ground recycling. In 2023, it signed a business agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to utilize local agricultural products and donate coffee compost to farms.

Over the past 11 years, Starbucks has provided a total of approximately 288,000 bags of coffee compost free of charge to farms in regions such as Pyeongtaek, Icheon, Boseong, Hadong, Jeju, Sangju, Gochang, and Goheung. The monetary value of these donations exceeds 1.1 billion won, and the total weight amounts to 5,770 tons.

The coffee compost donated to local farms is contributing to a virtuous cycle of resource circulation. Agricultural products grown with eco-friendly coffee ground compost are used as ingredients in food products, which are then sold again at Starbucks stores.

Jung-Hyun Sohn, CEO of Starbucks Korea, stated, "We will continue our upcycling activities that create new value through resource circulation using coffee grounds, while presenting a sustainable model of mutual growth with local farms."