Can Coffee Grounds Transform into Eco-Friendly Fertilizer?

Recycling Project for Coffee Grounds from 1,072 Coffee Shops and Bakeries by December... Mark Business Name and Date on (Semi)Transparent Plastic Bags for Collection and Eco-Friendly Composting

Collected coffee grounds

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Chang-woo Lee) is promoting a ‘coffee grounds (hereafter coffee residue) recycling project’ as part of its plan to reduce household waste by 10%.

With the increase in coffee consumption, the estimated amount of coffee residue generated domestically last year was about 150,000 tons, most of which is disposed of through volume-based waste bags and treated by incineration or landfill.

Coffee residue is a byproduct left after extracting coffee liquid from coffee beans. It contains no harmful substances such as heavy metals and includes nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium necessary for plant growth, making it recyclable as compost or fuel.

Accordingly, since 2018, the district has been conducting a coffee residue separate collection project targeting local cafes and restaurants, and by collecting about 203 tons until last year and recycling it as agricultural compost, it saved approximately 35 million KRW in disposal costs.

This year, the project will be promoted targeting 1,072 cafes, bakeries, and other eateries in the area.

In particular, collection will be prioritized from eateries located in areas with high foot traffic, such as subway stations and main roads within the district.

If these eateries dispose of coffee residue in (semi) transparent plastic bags labeled with the business name and date instead of volume-based waste bags, local cleaning contractors will collect the coffee residue together with recyclable waste during collection.

The collected coffee residue is temporarily stored at the Heukseok transfer station and then recycled into eco-friendly compost through an agricultural cooperative that has signed a business agreement with the district.

To ensure smooth project implementation, the district is actively promoting the project by ▲ providing guidance on the project when new eateries register their business ▲ instructing waste generators on how to separate coffee residue ▲ and encouraging reduction of disposable items used in stores.

Additionally, in accordance with the implementation of the total volume control system for the metropolitan landfill site, the district is pursuing household waste reduction measures across three areas: residual waste, food waste, and recyclable resources.

This year, for 15 business sites generating more than 300 kg/day of waste, the district will shift from public to self-processing of business-generated household waste, expand the distribution of RFID volume-based waste meters in multi-family and communal housing, and carry out various projects such as ice pack recycling to reduce food waste and increase recyclable resources.

Choi Seung-baek, Director of the Cleaning Administration Division, said, “We hope many local business owners will participate in this coffee residue recycling project,” and added, “We will continue to lead the creation of a pleasant eco-friendly city for residents by establishing a virtuous cycle of resources.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.