Kerbside coffee pod recycling looks set to be introduced in Exeter
Published: 20 November 2020
People in Exeter may soon be able to recycle their plastic and aluminium coffee pods from home thanks to a new initiative from the local authority.
Exeter City Council looks set to become one of the first councils in the country to allow residents to recycle the pods as part of its kerbside recycling collections.
Working with Podback, a not-for profit organisation, the Council is set to encourage householders to collect their plastic and aluminium coffee pods and then put them out for recycling collections in a separate bag to the green bin.
The pods will then be placed in a cage on the side of the collection vehicle and then bulked up and sent off for recycling when they arrive at the Council’s Materials Reclamation Facility.
The process for bringing this in across the city is set to be funded by Nestle and Jacobs Douwe Egberts, so there will be no cost to the authority. It is expected to start early next year and initially cover brands including Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Tassimo – representing the majority of the UK market. The ambition is to expand the programme to include all coffee brands that use plastic or aluminium pods in the UK.
Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management, said: “We are just putting the finishing touches to this initiative and it is set to be great news for Exeter. We have been trying to find a solution for coffee pods for some time. For a long time now people have not been able to recycle them from home but this new initiative is welcome news for everyone who wants to recycle and make a difference to our environment.”
New research reveals confusion amongst consumers, with more than a third (35%) of coffee pod drinkers unaware that pods can be recycled, and nine in 10 (90%) stating that they’d like to be able to recycle their coffee pods through their usual household recycling.
Residents in the city are requested to look out for further news on this initiative as it develops.