Morrisons has become the first major supermarket in the UK to introduce recycling points for used coffee machine pods. The move, which is being trialled in 29 stores, is in partnership with Podback, the pod recycling service.
The new drop-off service allows customers to collect Podback recycling bags, fill with their used pods, and recycle in a dedicated bin located at the front of the trial stores.
Last year, Morrisons became the first supermarket to support Podback and remains the only one to provide free coffee pod recycling bags for its customers to collect in all its stores. These recycling bags can be filled at home and be taken to one of 6,500 Yodel drop-off points around the UK with postage covered by Podback.
Morrisons is also set to become a Podback member, meaning its own-brand pods can be recycled through the scheme, along with 24 other pod brands across the coffee sector.
In the last year, it is estimated that 800 million coffee pods were bought in the UK. Through Podback, used aluminium pods are turned into aluminium ingots for new products, such as beverage cans, and the used plastic coffee pods are turned into other plastic items – such as building products and plastic crates. The used coffee grounds also go through anaerobic digestion – to produce biogas and soil improver.
Natasha Cook, Sustainable Packaging and Plastics Manager at Morrisons, said: “We’re excited to be launching this trial with Podback as we look to make it even easier for our customers who want to brew fresh coffee at home to recycle their used coffee pods. Now they can grab a Podback bag, fill it at home and simply drop it off on their next store trip.”
Rick Hindley, Executive Director at Podback, added: “Morrisons was the first supermarket to become a supporter of Podback and we’re thrilled that they’re now set to become a member; enabling their own brand pods to be recycled through the service and working with us to further improve access to coffee pod recycling by trialling a new drop-off system.
“This is another exciting step forward towards providing consumers with easy and convenient ways to recycle their used coffee pods. We welcome and encourage other retailers to join Podback and make it even easier for consumers to recycle pods in the future.”
