Incheon Yeonsu Self-Support Center's 'Coffee Grounds Recycling' Gains Overseas Attention... A Model for Resource Circulation and Job Creation

Self-sufficiency participants are recycling coffee grounds to make everyday products such as pencils and clay.
[Photo provided by Yeonsu-gu, Incheon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The 'Coffee Grounds Recycling Project' operated by the Incheon Yeonsu Regional Self-Sufficiency Center in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, is gaining attention after being featured in overseas media.

According to Yeonsu-gu on the 26th, the coffee grounds recycling project, which started as a model for resource circulation and job creation, is a business launched last year by forming a Upcycling Business Group in collaboration with Incheon City, Hyundai Steel, the Korea Productivity Center, and the Environmental Foundation.

Through a business agreement with Coffee Cube Co., Ltd., which holds a patent for molding processing methods using coffee grounds, discarded coffee grounds are commercialized, enhancing not only environmental protection but also the social value of job creation.

As these achievements became known, on the 24th, China Central Television (CCTV) visited the Upcycling Business Group directly to highlight the process from collection to manufacturing using coffee grounds.

The coffee grounds recycling project uses machines originally designed for making clay to recycle coffee grounds and produce everyday products such as pencils and clay in a 100% eco-friendly manner.

Education and information on acquiring coffee grounds recycling technology are provided by Coffee Cube, while the Incheon Yeonsu Regional Self-Sufficiency Center operates the Upcycling Business Group, continuing cooperation and support to expand production.

Yeonsu-gu plans to continue administrative support to promote the project, aiming not only to create self-sufficiency jobs but also to realize social and environmental values simultaneously, as well as support low-income self-reliance.

Choi Yoonhee, director of the Incheon Yeonsu Regional Self-Sufficiency Center, which is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, said, "Recycling coffee grounds contributes not only to environmental protection but also to job creation for low-income groups," adding, "We will consider ways to expand the project in consultation with related companies."

The Incheon Yeonsu Regional Self-Sufficiency Center opened in August 2000 to support the self-sufficiency and independence of low-income groups. Currently, it operates 16 business groups, including the Upcycling Business Group, providing jobs for about 180 participants to achieve self-reliance.

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