2 weeks Ago By Korea Bizwire
Gangneung Reusable Cup Coffee Festival Held in the City of Coffee (Yonhap) GANGNEUNG, South Korea, April 22 (Korea Bizwire) — In a bid to become a “disposable cup-free coffee city,” the coastal city of Gangneung announced on April 22, 2025, that it will implement a reusable cup deposit system, marking the first such initiative in an open, non-isolated area in South Korea. Under the new system, customers will pay a 1,000-won (approximately $0.74) deposit when ordering drinks served in reusable cups.
The deposit is fully refunded upon return of the cup. The goal is to reduce single-use waste and promote a culture of reusable cup usage across cafés and beverage outlets. While a similar pilot program is already underway on Udo Island in Jeju Province, Gangneung’s citywide rollout represents the first attempt to bring the model to a more open, urban environment.
The program draws inspiration from similar efforts in Germany, where around 20,000 cafés have adopted a €1 deposit model for reusable cups. Participating businesses in Gangneung will receive sanitized reusable cups from specialized service providers instead of relying on disposable alternatives. Used cups will be returned via unmanned collection machines, then cleaned, disinfected, and redistributed by the same service providers.
The cost burden on store owners is minimal, with an estimated self-payment of only around 50 won per cup — significantly lower than the expense of purchasing disposable cups. Night View of Gangneung Coffee Street To encourage participation, the city will offer incentives to certified eco-friendly cafés, including promotional signage, branded “Clean Café” plaques, and free waste disposal bags. Gangneung also plans to install automated cup return machines both inside participating shops and at key public locations to make returns more convenient for consumers.
Public outreach efforts will include social media campaigns and educational promotions to familiarize residents and tourists with the new system. Gangneung is accepting applications from interested businesses through the end of April 2025. “We invite café owners who care about the environment to join us in creating a clean, disposable-cup-free coffee city,” said Kim Dong-gwan, head of Gangneung’s Resource Circulation Division.
Lina Jang ([email protected]).
