Mapo-gu, Direct Collection and Recycling of Coffee Grounds

Neighborhood Community Centers, Environmental Officers, Environmental Security Guards, and Collection Agencies Join Efforts... Accelerating Recycling
Apply for Collection at Designated Points via QR Code on Mapo District Office Website
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, “We Will Establish Various Policies to Reduce Waste”

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) is expanding its coffee grounds recycling project to reduce household waste and promote resource circulation, and announced that it is continuously recruiting coffee shops to participate in the project for the virtuous cycle of resources.

Coffee grounds are byproducts left after extracting coffee liquid from coffee beans. Although they can be recycled as feed or compost, they are often discarded as general waste and treated by landfill or incineration, causing problems such as increased waste and carbon emissions.

According to export-import trade statistics from the Korea Customs Service, last year’s coffee import value was recorded at 1.11 billion USD, with an import volume of 193,000 tons, which is 22% higher than five years ago in 2018.

Also, the amount of coffee grounds generated daily at coffee shops in Seoul is estimated to be about 52 tons, but the recycling rate is only 9.2%, showing that the amount of recycled coffee grounds is insufficient compared to the amount generated.

In response, Mapo-gu conducted a pilot coffee grounds collection project targeting 100 cafes in the area through a professional collection company from June to December last year, collecting and recycling a total of 68 tons of coffee grounds.

Encouraged by the positive response from local coffee shops, Mapo-gu will collect coffee grounds for recycling this year through various means such as community service centers, environmental officers, environmental security guards, and cleaning contractors.

From January 15 this year, about 12 tons of coffee grounds were collected over approximately 40 days from 165 coffee shops in the area. In particular, the project accepted requests from some coffee shops with large amounts of waste during last year’s pilot project to increase collection frequency, and introduced a twice-weekly collection system this year.

A district official stated, “The success of the coffee grounds recycling project conducted by Mapo-gu depends on the participation of coffee shops,” and added, “We ask for much interest and participation so that more coffee grounds can be recycled.”

Mapo-gu plans to actively encourage participation from local coffee shops through continuous promotional activities.

Coffee shops wishing to participate can scan the QR code on the participation application form posted on the Mapo-gu Office website and submit the mobile application form.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We are accelerating the coffee grounds recycling project to reduce household waste generated in the area and lower disposal costs,” and added, “Mapo-gu will continue to prepare various policies to reduce waste and do its best to create a clean Mapo.”

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