Coffee pod recycling collections start in Exeter
Published: 25 January 2022
A new coffee pod recycling service has started in Exeter, with residents now able to have the tiny aluminium and plastic containers collected from the kerbside.
Exeter City Council has teamed up with Podback, a not-for-profit coffee recycling service, to offer the free collections.
People wanting to take advantage of the new service need to register in advance of the collections. They will then receive special collection bags provided by Podback. The bags will then be collected by the Council on a weekly basis as part of recycling and household waste collections. The bags of pods are placed in a small cage on the side of the refuse and recycling vehicles.
Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management, said the new service supported the Council’s aims to reduce waste, increase recycling and tackle climate change: “This is great news for Exeter. We’ve been looking for a recycling solution for these pods for some time, so it’s fantastic that they can now be recycled from the kerbside. Podback is funding the service, so it is cost neutral.”
Since January 2021, UK consumers have bought 1.2 billion coffee pods as their taste for luxury coffee at home grows. Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Podback found that more than a third (35%) of coffee pod drinkers are unaware that pods can be recycled, while 90% state that they’d like to be able to recycle their coffee pods through their usual household recycling.
Podback is working in partnership with the biggest names in coffee pod systems – Nespresso, NESCAFE Dolce Gusto and Tassimo – to recycle its pods.
Once collected, the coffee pods will be sent for reprocessing to separate the packaging from the coffee grounds. The coffee grounds will be used to create soil improver and renewable energy. The plastic and aluminium will be transformed into new products
Recycling items uses less energy than manufacturing from raw materials, saving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions generated by throwing items away in landfill and even incineration.
Exeter residents registering for the service will be sent two rolls of bags - plus a caddy if they use NESCAFE Dolce Gusto coffee pods – for the recycling of their aluminium or plastic coffee pods along with an instructional leaflet.
The pods can then be put outside in either the specially provided bags or the caddy for kerbside collection along with their other waste and recycling on their normal collection day. People must register to take advantage of the service and the pods will only be collected if placed in the provided bags or caddy.
For more information on the service visit our website exeter.gov.uk/podback