Yeongdeungpo-gu has repurposed 302 tons of coffee grounds — previously discarded as household waste — into reusable resources.
Coffee grounds are a valuable material known for their deodorizing and moisture-absorbing properties. They can be processed into eco-friendly compost, livestock bedding and fuel pellets. When simply thrown away, however, they generate environmental pollution and impose social costs through disposal expenses.
The district launched the project in earnest in 2024 and has produced tangible results each year. It started with 274 establishments participating and 64 tons recycled that year, grew to 420 sites collecting 355 tons in 2025, and has reached 530 sites — with 166 newly joining this year — collecting 302 tons as of August.
Based on data from the Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Forest Science, the effort is equivalent to reducing about 102 tons of carbon dioxide, or planting roughly 15,400 young pine trees.
Coffee shops in Yeongdeungpo-gu are eligible to participate, with the exception of those located in buildings that generate commercial waste. Applications can be submitted online through the district office website under the "Sector Information — Environment" board, or through the Yeongdeungpo Recycling Practice Support Team, which conducts in-person outreach.
Once enrolled, participants place coffee grounds — free of foreign materials and sealed in clear plastic bags — in front of their shops or at designated spots on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings between 8 p.m. and midnight. Regional collection contractors pick up the bags three times a week — on Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and deliver them to recycling processors. For further details, contact the district office's sanitation division.
"The district's proactive resource-circulation policy, combined with the enthusiastic cooperation of cafe owners, is creating an outstanding model for reducing household waste," district mayor Cho Yu-jin said. "We hope even more cafe owners will join this worthwhile effort to turn discarded coffee grounds into a valuable resource."
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