Coffee pod recycling at HWRCs

It is now three years since the launch of Podback, the not-for-profit recycling service created by the leading pod coffee brands. This year is shaping up to see a significant expansion of the service, with a busy pipeline of service mobilisations currently underway with local authorities across the country. 

Head of Operations Will French explains what’s involved in adding coffee pods to Recycling Centres. 

How can Podback help us set up coffee pod recycling at our Household Waste and Recycling Centres?

Podback provides HWRCs with collection containers to enable aluminium and plastic pods to be collected separately.  Material stream and instructional signage can be supplied, or artwork provided for the authority to produce this themselves.

Marketing assets, including template press release, digital banners and social media posts, are provided to help launch and promote the service.

Podback manages delivery and collection of the containers, and we arrange onward logistics to the reprocessors. Collections take place at least once every four weeks, in order to comply with Environment Agency regulatory position on storage of used coffee pods¹.

What do residents need to know?

The process of recycling pods at a HWRC is slightly different to the other Podback collection routes, because no special bags are required. Pods can simply be saved at home and tipped loose into the containers at the HWRC – the only requirement is that plastic and aluminium pods are saved separately. 

Residents will need to be informed how to dispose of, or recycle, the bag or box they’ve brought their pods in – if it can’t be reused. 

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Is there a cost to the local authority?

No. Collecting pods for recycling with Podback is cost-neutral to the authority. 

How much extra work is involved?

The mobilisation process is designed to require minimal input for local authorities. The Podback team will work with you to make the practical arrangements, including delivery of the containers and signage.   The marketing assets are formatted and ready to drop into your comms calendar. 

How long does it take to get up and running?

Essentially, from agreement to launch can all happen within six weeks. 

Is there enough demand to warrant a service in our authority?

800M beverage pods are sold in the UK every year² and over 20% of households own a coffee pod machine.  A recent survey of pod consumers³ revealed that 43% used pods every day. Our daily website traffic also indicates a high demand for pod collections, with thousands of searches coming from all over the UK.

What are the benefits to the local authority?

Partnering with Podback demonstrates to residents you are committed to finding solutions for “hard-to-recycle” materials.

Podback will provide tonnage and destination data for each material for local authority WasteDataFlow, so can be attributed to recycling rates. 

What happens to the pods?

All pods collected by Podback are reprocessed in the UK. They are shredded to remove the coffee grounds, which are sent to local anaerobic digestion facilities, creating renewable energy (biogas) and soil improver.

Aluminium is remelted and used by manufacturers of beverage cans and automotive components. Recycled plastic pods are used in the manufacture of products for the packaging and building sector.  

¹ Temporary storage of waste coffee pods: RPS 282 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

² 800M Pods were bought in the UK in the last year (Source: Kantar WPO | 52W | Volume (Cups) | W/E 11.06.23)

³ Survey of 2,002 coffee pod consumers undertaken for Podback by Resource Futures in June 2023

Podback

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