As 2025 draws to a close, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on a year of growth and collaboration for Podback, the UK’s coffee pod recycling service.
Over the past year, we have continued working closely with local authorities to make pod recycling accessible and convenient for households across the UK. The number of household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) now offering Podback collections has more than doubled to over 300, meaning we have hit our target for the year of enabling 50% of households to recycle in their local authority area. With an active pipeline of new locations coming on board in 2026 we are confident of this rising even higher within the next 12 months.
The scale and pace of this rollout wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership and commitment shown by local authority teams. Wherever possible we work to make the introduction of Podback straightforward, as we know how time-pressed recycling teams are, especially with so many service changes underway as they get ready for Simpler Recycling. Despite these pressures, the enthusiasm for adding coffee pods to collections has continued. And we’ve seen some really impactful local communications campaigns to promote new services - from caddy giveaways, reels and blogs from social media influencers to events in reuse shops – all proving that even when budgets are under pressure, local impact can be achieved.
The enthusiasm from residents for a pod recycling service is also encouraging. In recent customer research carried out for Podback, recycling pods at HWRCs achieved satisfaction levels of over 80%. Positive feedback from pod users included,
“it’s great I can now take pods to the tip, thank you!”
The expansion into HWRCs is key to the ongoing development of our nationwide drop-off network, which now includes Asda and Morrisons supermarkets. We recently launched a trial service in Co-op stores in the south west, and their network is set to expand further in 2026.
We need to continue to promote coffee pod recycling, not just to explain how to recycle but also why it’s important that the materials are recovered and given a second life. Our consumer research showed us that 56% of pod users are still not aware that pods are recyclable, especially among younger pod buyers – surprising considering this generation’s strong interest in sustainable choices. This highlights both the challenge and the opportunity ahead: Helping residents understand that pods can—and should—be recycled will continue to be a key focus for Podback and its partners; making sure pods don’t get overlooked as Simpler Recycling comes into effect.
We would like to thank all local authority recycling teams, their waste management partners, communications officers and site teams who have helped support Podback this year. We look forward to continuing our work together in 2026.
For more information about Podback, including case studies on our HWRC partnerships visit our website.
