Yongsan-gu Continues Free Coffee Grounds Recycling Program

Seoul's Yongsan-gu district will continue this year a coffee grounds recycling project it launched last year, district mayor Park Hee-young announced. The initiative collects spent coffee grounds — otherwise discarded as household waste — and processes them into eco-friendly biofuel, advancing resource circulation and waste reduction goals.

Coffee grounds, the byproduct left after brewing, are typically disposed of as general household waste, but can be converted into a circular resource for use as fuel feedstock through drying and processing. Yongsan-gu has operated a separate collection system for coffee grounds from local cafes and coffee shops since last year, building the foundation for broader resource recycling.

Participating businesses have responded positively, citing savings on standard waste disposal bags and the convenience of the collection system.

This year, the program will again run as an integrated system through the mobile app "Jigu Hada," covering everything from collection requests to pickup and recycling. Participating businesses can request a pickup through the app and set out their coffee grounds on the designated date; a specialized contractor then collects and recycles the grounds into solid fuel and other eco-friendly energy sources.

Grounds may be placed out in either a dedicated collection bag or a regular plastic bag — businesses using a regular bag should write their shop name clearly on the outside before leaving it at their door. The district plans to provide dedicated collection bags to the first 150 businesses that sign up.

Businesses with questions about joining the program may contact Yongsan-gu's sanitation administration division, while inquiries about drop-off and collection procedures should be directed to Jigu Hada Co.

"As the ban on direct landfilling of household waste in the greater Seoul area takes effect, reducing waste and promoting resource circulation are becoming ever more important," district mayor Park said. "I encourage as many businesses as possible to take part in this program, which not only cuts down on waste bag use and disposal costs but also turns discarded materials into eco-friendly fuel."