In the three years since Podback’s launch, we have been able to explore collection routes for our recycling scheme. This has enabled us to test which options fit most seamlessly into pod users’ daily lives and adapt our operations to fit consumer demand.
Earlier this year, we announced a partnership with Morrisons to allow customers across the country to drop-off their used pods in stores nationwide. And last week, we confirmed an agreement with FCC Environment to roll out drop-off points in household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in England and Wales.
This expansion follows a successful pilot of our coffee pod recycling at 11 FCC HWRC sites in Suffolk operated on behalf of Suffolk County Council and two in Berkshire. These pilots showed that, with many people already travelling to HWRCs to recycle household items, the sites are a convenient way for them to drop off their used coffee pods. For example, In the first six months of operations at the Berkshire sites, we collected 14 tonnes of pods, showing consumers’ demand for the service.
Collecting pods at HWRCs also removes the need for customers to use specific Podback bags, as they can tip loose plastic and aluminium pods directly into the relevant container.
After seeing the success of these sites, we’re excited to be expanding our partnership with FCC Environment to more HWRCs and will soon be launching five further sites Wigan, Luton and Nuneaton, Warwickshire; with more to follow later in the year.
We’re also in the process of rolling out HWRC collections with a number of local authorities across the UK. During June, 15 sites in Cambridgeshire, West Berkshire and County Durham started collecting pods, meaning that another 560,000 households are now able to recycle pods as part of their local authority’s household waste and recycling service.
As with all our local authority collection schemes, the Podback team will support with all practical arrangements, including delivery of the containers and signage, as well as providing a range of marketing materials that can be tailored to each individual area.
This means that we are now able to take as little as six weeks from agreement of a scheme to launching in a local area.
If your local authority is interested in introducing HWRC pod collections please get in touch with us through our website. Our Head of Operations, Will French, has also answered some of the most frequent questions we receive. We will also be visiting RWM Expo at the NEC in September, you’ll find us in the LARAC Lounge – come and say hello!
We look forward to working with more local authorities to offer the service to their residents and take us closer to our goal of ensuring that each coffee pod enjoyed, is recycled.
