Busan city adopted the vision of the “Coffee City of Busan,” designating the recycling of coffee grounds as a signature project for the region. (Image courtesy of Korea Bizwire)
BUSAN, Jul. 31 (Korea Bizwire) – The coastal city of Busan, South Korea, is set to launch an innovative program to recycle spent coffee grounds, transforming waste into valuable resources and advancing its circular economy initiatives.
City officials announced the plan on July 30, positioning Busan at the forefront of sustainable waste management in the country.
In February, during the 13th Busan Future Innovation Conference, the city adopted the vision of the “Coffee City of Busan,” designating the recycling of coffee grounds as a signature project for the region.
Coffee grounds, the residue left after brewing, possess high calorific value, making them suitable for use as biofuel.
Moreover, these grounds are free from heavy metals and other harmful substances, allowing for their repurposing as soil conditioners, compost, building materials, and even as alternatives to plastic.
Currently classified as household waste and incinerated before landfilling, coffee grounds present an urgent recycling challenge as Busan faces a 2030 deadline to completely halt the landfilling of combustible waste.
In a groundbreaking move this May, Busan became the first city in South Korea to enact an ordinance promoting and supporting a circular economy for coffee grounds.
The city’s initiative, based on a feasibility study conducted by the Busan Research Institute, will see an investment of 3.9 billion won over five years.
Under this scheme, coffee shops reporting their spent grounds will have them collected free of charge by public services. The city will then support the development and sale of products made from these recycled grounds.
“Busan is the first in the nation to establish a public collection system and resource processing infrastructure for coffee grounds through our pioneering ordinance,” said a representative from the city’s Resource Recycling Division.
“This project is expected to promote resource circulation, environmental protection, and reduce carbon emissions.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
