The Story of Recycling Over Coffee

    

Picture 1. Coffee Beans

Since Gojong era of Choseon Dynasty, coffee drinking culture has deeply pervaded Korean society and history. It now became a part of modern people’s life as coffee drinking population in Korea rose. However, simultaneously, some environmental problems in the process of coffee making such as the disposal of coffee cups are often being a controversial issue.

And one of those problems mainly cited nowadays is the disposal of “used coffee grounds”. Although many people think the amount of coffee grounds wouldn’t be much, the amount of disposed coffee grounds everyday is about the average 130t, only in coffee shops located in Seoul.

One factor that makes this phenomenon happen is the unorganized recycling system in Korea, which omits the recycling of coffee grounds even if it could be reused. As a result, most people actually do not recognize the fact that used coffee grounds can be recycled since there was no national promotion about it.

     

Picture 2. Mushrooms grown by coffee grounds

 

As a solution to this problem as well as giving benefits to our lifes, growing mushrooms with coffee grounds is suggested in Paris. By using coffee grounds in urban agriculture, it is making the local consuming possible in the area. Also, the education toward farmers about it is now practiced to expand this eco-friendly method to the whole world.

In Jong-no of Seoul were similar businesses promoted. By using coffee grounds collected in the coffee shops in Jong-no district, people are now recycling them as fertilizer and fodder, making the environment much cleaner.

In addition, a bevy of scientists of Nevada University in America suggested more developed forms of technology using coffee grounds, which was producing “bio-diesels” using coffee grounds. This idea named Caffé Fuel was created since discovering the fact that the chemical reaction of ethanol and coffee grounds can make bio-diesels.

I hope further studies about disposed coffee grounds would be developed and also the perception and use of these technologies would be known to the public.

 

 

* Related Stories

- Bio-diesel producing corporation using coffee grounds

http://www.bio-bean.com/

- An Article about Caffé Fuel

https://engage.blogs.unr.edu/2013/06/20/caffe-fuel-how-coffee-could-revolutionize-biofuels/