Michuhol-gu turns coffee grounds into fuel while creating jobs for seniors

Michuhol-gu District (Mayor Kim Jung-sik) in Incheon is moving ahead with a program to recycle coffee grounds from cafes into resources such as biofuel and to link their collection to jobs for local seniors. The district signed a memorandum of understanding on the coffee grounds recycling project with Cheonil Energy Co. and the Michuhol Senior Club at the mayor’s office on the 27th.

[The Korean Today] Signing ceremony for the coffee grounds recycling project agreement © Reporter Kim Mi-hee

Coffee grounds are the residue left over after coffee is brewed. Until now, most coffee grounds have been incinerated or sent to landfills along with other waste. The agreement aims to cut household waste itself by recycling the grounds into biofuel and other products. Because the amount of coffee grounds discarded grows as the number of coffee shops increases, the agreement is significant in that it sets up a system for turning the grounds into resources instead of throwing them away.

The project targets both environmental and welfare goals. By linking the collection of coffee grounds to a senior employment program, the district aims to give more local seniors the chance to work and take part in society. The project effectively combines the recycling of discarded resources and the expansion of jobs for seniors into a single initiative.

The groundwork is already in place. A total of 111 coffee shops in the district are already taking part in the coffee grounds recycling project, and the district plans to work with these businesses to establish a routine of separately collecting, discarding and recycling coffee grounds.

Under the agreement, the three organizations will divide their roles, covering promotion of the project, free collection and processing of coffee grounds, and the provision of collection workers through the senior employment program. They agreed to cooperate closely throughout the entire process, from the disposal of coffee grounds at businesses to their collection and recycling. As collection is free, participating businesses can take part in resource recycling while reducing their disposal burden.

[The Korean Today] Participants in the coffee grounds recycling agreement © Reporter Kim Mi-hee

An official from Cheonil Energy Co. said, “Recycling coffee grounds is a meaningful project that turns discarded resources into energy,” adding, “We will faithfully carry out our role so that coffee grounds can be collected and recycled smoothly, and contribute to resource recycling in the community.”

A district official said, “This agreement is highly significant in that it raises the value of resources by recycling coffee grounds into biofuel and other products, while also contributing to the local community through its link to senior jobs,” adding, “We will work to ensure the project settles in stably and that more coffee shops can take part.”

With the agreement, coffee grounds recycling in Michuhol-gu now goes beyond the participation of individual businesses to a system involving a private processing company and a senior employment organization. The success of the two goals — reducing household waste and expanding jobs for seniors — is expected to depend on how many more businesses join and whether collection can be sustained on a stable basis.

[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]

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