This year has seen some significant operational changes for the coffee pod recycling service, Podback. Launched in 2021 to provide a free, nationwide recycling service for beverage capsules, during 2025 the service has expanded to include drop-off points at national retailers, including Morrisons and Asda, and over 260 household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs).
From its first trial of an HWRC service in Berkshire in July 2023, the drop off network has grown steadily and currently reaches from Durham to Dorset. There is an active mobilisation pipeline, and Podback is on track to provide 50% of UK households with pod recycling at a local HWRC by the end of the year.
It’s fair to say that there were some initial reservations about how popular coffee pod recycling at an HWRC would be, as only around 20% of households own a pod coffee machine. But adding pods to the long list of items that can be included in “a trip to the tip” has proved popular. Recent research by Podback shows high levels of customer satisfaction with the Podback service at HWRCs – with 66% of respondents ranking it 8 or more out of 10.
Podback’s research also shows that awareness of coffee pod recycling is growing; with pods ranking 7th in the list of items that respondents claim to ‘regularly’ recycle at home.
In North Yorkshire and the City of York, Podback has been available at 21 HWRCs since August 2024. Within the first 12 months more than 54 tonnes of plastic and aluminium pods were collected. You can read the case study on the Podback website.
Kerry Green, Waste Contracts and Compliance Manager at North Yorkshire Council says:
“54 tonnes, or 3 million pods, recycled in 12 months highlights the power of small everyday actions to create significant environmental benefits. We encourage other councils to consider partnering with Podback. The containers are compact, easy to manage, and the environmental benefits and convenience to residents are a huge benefit.”
Setting up Podback at HWRCs can take as little as six weeks. The service is fully-funded, and includes provision of collection containers and site signage, plus management of all logistics and data reporting. A full set of marketing assets enables the new service to be easily promoted to residents.
To read our case studies, or to contact Podback to find out more about adding coffee pod recycling to your HWRCs visit our website: www.podback.org
