Co-op trials in-store coffee pod recycling with Podback
Key takeaways
- Co-op has partnered with Podback on a six-month in-store trial enabling customers to return used coffee pods for recycling.
- Thirty stores in Southwest England and three sustainability sites will host drop-off points for plastic and aluminum pods.
- The trial reflects a broader rise in return-and-reuse packaging schemes across retail sectors.
Co-op, a UK-based supermarket, has partnered with Podpack, a coffee pod recycling service that enables customers to return and recycle used coffee pods in stores.
During the six-month trial, Podback will install recycling units in 30 Co-op stores across Southwest England, as well as in Co-op’s three sustainability showcase stores in Leeds, Soham, and Northampton.
Customers can fill recycling bags with used pods and drop them off at dedicated points in Co-op stores, where Podback then collects them for recycling.
Rick Hindley, executive director at Podback, says: “Our mission is to give lovers of pod coffee simple and convenient ways to recycle, and Podback customers throughout the UK have responded positively to the introduction of drop-off points in retail locations because it’s easy to combine recycling with their regular routines.”
Participating stores in the trial can be found on Podback’s online Recycle Checker platform. Podback recycling bags are available for order on its website or through participating coffee brands.
Coffee pod circularity
The scheme accepts plastic and aluminum pods. The pods are recycled in the UK, while coffee grounds are turned into energy and fertilizer. Recovered aluminum and plastic are recycled into various products, including beverage cans, building materials, and garden furniture.
Scott McHarg, head of Co-op and property sustainability, says: “Recycling is a topic that our member-owners are extremely passionate about, and this new trial is another way we can make it easier for our customers to do the right thing for the planet when shopping in our stores.”
Podback’s recycling scheme includes more than 1,100 retail locations and 260 local authority recycling centers across the UK.
The rise of returns
Recycling schemes for packaging products are increasing as consumers value reusable options to curb single-use plastic pollution.
Recently, Optical by National Pharmacies, an Australian pharmacy, partnered with Opticycle, an Australian-based eye care recycling company, to introduce a return and recycling program for contact lens packaging waste in Adelaide.
Similarly, the German retailers Kaufland and VollCorner Biomarkt collaborated with the digital platform Reo to trial a deposit return system for personal care packaging.
In addition, Ecosurety announced the acquisition of the Refill Return platform from environmental organization City to Sea, aiming to scale circular packaging reuse systems across the UK.
