Starbucks x Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture x Kirishima Shuzo Conclude Partnership Agreement Aiming to Build a Circular Local Society Through the Recycling of "Coffee Grounds" and "Shochu Lees"
Starbucks Coffee Japan, Miyakonojo City, and Kirishima Shuzo have signed a partnership agreement to build a circular local society by recycling coffee grounds and shochu lees. The initiative aims to reduce waste and promote regional resource circulation, including utilizing biogas generated from these byproducts as local energy.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 28, 2026 at 02:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 17:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 02:55 (9h 23m after Collected)
Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. [Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Hisae Morii], Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and Kirishima Shuzo Co., Ltd. concluded a partnership agreement on Monday, April 27, 2026, aiming to build a circular local society utilizing "coffee grounds" and "shochu lees." Going forward, the three parties will collaborate on initiatives such as resource circulation, including using biogas generated from "coffee grounds" and "shochu lees" as local energy, with the goal of establishing a circular society in Miyakonojo City.
Regarding the environmental activities of Miyakonojo City, Starbucks, and Kirishima Shuzo to date:
Miyakonojo City declared itself a "Zero Carbon City" in March 2023, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Based on its Second Miyakonojo City Environmental Basic Plan, the city is promoting renewable energy, energy conservation, groundwater protection, and activities like the July city-wide cleanup, working towards building a sustainable circular society that coexists with the natural environment. Starbucks and Kirishima Shuzo, resonating with each other's efforts for the region and environment, and their aspirations for a sustainable future, began a collaboration project in 2022. On January 27, 2026, they opened "KIRISHIMA GREENSHIP icoia" (hereinafter, icoia) as "a place for everyone's 'gathering' that creates resource circulation and connections with the community." At icoia, they conduct customer-participatory workshops that allow visitors to experience resource circulation through compost making experiments using "coffee grounds" and "shochu lees" discharged from both companies' business activities, among other positive actions for the local community and natural environment, leveraging both companies' strengths. To further promote these activities, the three parties, sharing a common vision for the region's future, have now mutually agreed to sign a partnership agreement concerning the creation of a rich circular local society generated by "coffee grounds" and "shochu lees."
What we aim to achieve through this agreement:
This agreement aims to contribute to waste reduction and the promotion of circular utilization of regional resources, specifically by recycling "shochu lees," a byproduct generated in Kirishima Shuzo's shochu manufacturing process, and "coffee grounds," discharged after Starbucks coffee extraction, towards Miyakonojo City's goal of building a circular society.
First utilization of the "Designated Recycling Business System" in 9 cities within Miyazaki Prefecture:
Starting March 2, 2026, the acceptance of "coffee grounds" discharged from two Starbucks stores in Miyakonojo City has already commenced at Kirishima Shuzo's shochu lees recycling plant. This initiative utilizes the "Designated Recycling Business System*1" enacted by Miyakonojo City on January 1, 2026, which is the first of its kind to be established in any of the nine cities in Miyazaki Prefecture. Kirishima Shuzo is the first business operator to utilize this system in Miyakonojo City.
Approximately 20kg of coffee grounds per day converted into energy for about 1.4 households:
The amount of coffee grounds accepted from two Starbucks stores is approximately 20kg per day. By processing this through methane fermentation, approximately 2.2m3 of biogas is generated. This is equivalent to the energy consumption of about 1.4 households and is expected to lead to an annual reduction of approximately 0.9 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) due to reduced city gas usage*2.
Through this agreement, the three parties will further deepen their collaboration in waste reduction, promotion of regional resource circulation, and the implementation of environmental workshops, proactively engaging in positive actions towards realizing a rich circular local society.
*1: A system allowing the city to individually designate businesses that are certain to recycle industrial general waste as "General Waste Recycling Transportation Businesses" for collection and transport, and "General Waste Recycling Utilization Businesses" for recycling and utilization.
*2: According to Kirishima Shuzo.
◆ Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. https://www.starbucks.co.jp/
Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. opened its first store in Japan in Ginza, Tokyo, in 1996. It operates over 37,000 stores in approximately 80 markets worldwide, and 2,105 coffee stores (as of end of December 2025, including licensed stores) across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Approximately 60,000 partners (employees) provide connection and heartwarming moments through a cup of coffee. On February 28, 2019, the "Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo," the fifth location worldwide, was opened. Spreading throughout the nation, people, society, global environment, and community.
Regarding the environmental activities of Miyakonojo City, Starbucks, and Kirishima Shuzo to date:
Miyakonojo City declared itself a "Zero Carbon City" in March 2023, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Based on its Second Miyakonojo City Environmental Basic Plan, the city is promoting renewable energy, energy conservation, groundwater protection, and activities like the July city-wide cleanup, working towards building a sustainable circular society that coexists with the natural environment. Starbucks and Kirishima Shuzo, resonating with each other's efforts for the region and environment, and their aspirations for a sustainable future, began a collaboration project in 2022. On January 27, 2026, they opened "KIRISHIMA GREENSHIP icoia" (hereinafter, icoia) as "a place for everyone's 'gathering' that creates resource circulation and connections with the community." At icoia, they conduct customer-participatory workshops that allow visitors to experience resource circulation through compost making experiments using "coffee grounds" and "shochu lees" discharged from both companies' business activities, among other positive actions for the local community and natural environment, leveraging both companies' strengths. To further promote these activities, the three parties, sharing a common vision for the region's future, have now mutually agreed to sign a partnership agreement concerning the creation of a rich circular local society generated by "coffee grounds" and "shochu lees."
What we aim to achieve through this agreement:
This agreement aims to contribute to waste reduction and the promotion of circular utilization of regional resources, specifically by recycling "shochu lees," a byproduct generated in Kirishima Shuzo's shochu manufacturing process, and "coffee grounds," discharged after Starbucks coffee extraction, towards Miyakonojo City's goal of building a circular society.
First utilization of the "Designated Recycling Business System" in 9 cities within Miyazaki Prefecture:
Starting March 2, 2026, the acceptance of "coffee grounds" discharged from two Starbucks stores in Miyakonojo City has already commenced at Kirishima Shuzo's shochu lees recycling plant. This initiative utilizes the "Designated Recycling Business System*1" enacted by Miyakonojo City on January 1, 2026, which is the first of its kind to be established in any of the nine cities in Miyazaki Prefecture. Kirishima Shuzo is the first business operator to utilize this system in Miyakonojo City.
Approximately 20kg of coffee grounds per day converted into energy for about 1.4 households:
The amount of coffee grounds accepted from two Starbucks stores is approximately 20kg per day. By processing this through methane fermentation, approximately 2.2m3 of biogas is generated. This is equivalent to the energy consumption of about 1.4 households and is expected to lead to an annual reduction of approximately 0.9 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) due to reduced city gas usage*2.
Through this agreement, the three parties will further deepen their collaboration in waste reduction, promotion of regional resource circulation, and the implementation of environmental workshops, proactively engaging in positive actions towards realizing a rich circular local society.
*1: A system allowing the city to individually designate businesses that are certain to recycle industrial general waste as "General Waste Recycling Transportation Businesses" for collection and transport, and "General Waste Recycling Utilization Businesses" for recycling and utilization.
*2: According to Kirishima Shuzo.
◆ Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. https://www.starbucks.co.jp/
Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. opened its first store in Japan in Ginza, Tokyo, in 1996. It operates over 37,000 stores in approximately 80 markets worldwide, and 2,105 coffee stores (as of end of December 2025, including licensed stores) across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Approximately 60,000 partners (employees) provide connection and heartwarming moments through a cup of coffee. On February 28, 2019, the "Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Tokyo," the fifth location worldwide, was opened. Spreading throughout the nation, people, society, global environment, and community.