Morrisons enables in-store coffee pod collection in “UK first”

22 May 2024 --- Morrisons is rolling out coffee pod collection points in more than 350 UK stores in partnership with Podback, the pod recycling service. In an effort to make coffee pod recycling easier and accessible nationwide, the rollout of the new recycling points will start in June.

Customers are already able to pick up free Podback recycling bags from Morrisons customer service desks. With the launch of the new in-store collection points, customers can drop off filled bags at Morrisons stores during shopping. 

Zara Safdari, waste and sustainability manager at Morrisons, says: “Coffee pods have continued to grow in popularity over recent years, with many household brands now offering a variety of pods to brew fresh coffee in minutes at home.” 

“Picking up Podback bags while doing a supermarket shop and dropping them back, filled, on further shopping trips makes it easy for consumers to recycle their used coffee pods. We’re pleased to be extending this service to make it even easier for our customers who want barista-style coffee at home to recycle their used pods.”

Customers can drop off bags with used coffee capsules at Morrisons stores during shopping.Building on collection success
By the end of March this year, trial stores had collected over 42,300 kgs of pods, an average of 37 kg per store weekly, equivalent to 2.8 million pods.

Morrisons says it became “the first” supermarket in 2022 to support Podback by offering free coffee pod recycling bags in stores. Furthermore, in July 2023, a trial of in-store collection points was introduced in 29 stores. Initially planned to run for eight weeks, it was extended due to its popularity with customers. 

Rick Hindley, executive director at Podback, comments: “The in-store drop-off trial proved an immediate success with recyclers and the volume of pods collected through the trial has continued to grow month-on-month.”

“Podback is committed to making pod recycling simple and convenient for lovers of pod coffee, and adding a national supermarket to our network of free recycling points is a major step forward toward our goal.”

Earlier this month, Starbucks partnered with Podback to allow customers to pick up Podback’s recycling bags across all of its 1,250 UK coffee shops.

Through the Podback scheme, used aluminum and plastic pods are recycled in the UK. Aluminum is used to manufacture beverage cans and car components and plastic is used in the manufacture of a range of items, including packaging crates and building products. The used coffee grounds are treated by anaerobic digestion to produce renewable energy (biogas) and soil improvers.

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim